A letter written by a young man named J. H. Emory who traveled to Britain to apply for a position of Tutor with one of Britain’s Royals, Princess Helena.
The letter is a lengthy 12-pages and is dated June 5, 1877 which constitutes three 9" x 7" sheets folded.
The letter does not identify the Duchess by name. However, although I'm not positive, I believe the letter is referring to Princess Helena (known also as "Lenchen"), daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The letter gives a physical description of the Duchess—and I believe it is, Helena, to which the writer is referring. In any event, the letter is an interesting, and fascinating description of a young man’s first visit with Victorian era Royalty.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's fifth child and third daughter, was born on May 25, 1846 at Buckingham Palace, one day after Queen Victoria’s 27th birthday. She was named Helena, but for all her life she would be called Lenchen. Helena grew up as a shineless, dutiful and reserved girl. She had a tendency towards fat (which was severely criticized by Queen Victoria although she herself was fat) and was a bit of a tomboy, showing abilities for the less feminine activities like swimming or racing. As Helena grew into womanhood, Queen Victoria began to worry about her future.
Helena’s rather full-figure was compensated by wavy brown hair, a little straight nose and lovely amber eyes. She played the piano, had a distinct gift for drawing and painting in watercolors and had a clear, though not strong soprano voice. She was loyal to her friends. In 1866, Duchess Helena paid a visit to Germany with the Queen. There Helena met for the first time the man who would be her husband, Prince Christian of Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Augustenburg.
Princess Helena married the Prince and together they had two sons, Christian Victor and Albert, and two daughters, Helena Victoria, and Marie Louise.
THE LETTER
"Kensington—June 5, 1877
My Dearest Mother—
I am sure you will be anxious to hear about my interview with the Duchess. I was told to be at Mr. Bullock’s at 4:45 yesterday afternoon. And I was very glad to get a cup of tea then, and to cool a little for it was a humid day. I also wanted to learn how to address the Duchess and how to comport myself in her presence. Mr. Bullock told me that I must call her ‘Your Royal Highness’ or ‘Madame’. I was not to sit in her presence without invitation. I was not to offer any remark or start any subject without being addressed.
I found that saved me the difficulty of taking a prominent part in the proceedings. When we got to the ‘Teck’ apartments, we found the Duchess was out, so we were shown into the Council Room. Here was a large print of Queen Victoria holding her first council…and we were in the very room in which it happened. Probably such an important ceremony has not taken place since.
There were large windows opening into the gardens and here we saw some of the children playing. We went out and I was introduced to one of the three governesses and the younger boy who is only 7, though he looks 10, and the little Princess who is the eldest. I think she is 10. In a few minutes the footman came out to say that the Duchess had returned. She is a ponderous woman with light wavy hair and a pleasant, good-humored expression. In spite of her enormous fat, she was full of life and activity. She shook hands with Mr. Bullock and bowed to me and motioned us each to a chair. She began at once by saying she believed Mr. Bullock had explained to me what was required, but that she understood that I could not give quite so much as three afternoons in the week. I then explained that I could be at liberty, thanks to Ackland’s kindness. On Monday’s at 3, on Wednesdays at 4, and on Saturdays at 3. This she seemed to think would do.
She asked me if my father was a clergyman. She asked about the school, and how long I had been there and how many masters and how many boys there were. She told me that she wished her boys to begin Latin and to read aloud, and I was to take them in these and any other subjects, I thought fit. She thought it desirable that they should work from 3 to 3 to 5 with me and then I was to play or walk with them for a couple of hours and have tea, leaving at 7.
Then she told me a good deal about them—that the eldest had been very ill during the Winter and therefore he was not to be pressed, and the younger was rather the sharpest of the two and she gave me a long anecdote about this recollecting the circumstances of the madness of Charles VI.
All this conversation she conducted with a good deal of Royal dignity, but with a great deal of life and a little action. I sat with my hat on my knees trying to make up little speeches with ‘your royal highness’ in them, but I never got the chance. She ended by deciding that I was to come unless I heard to the contrary, on Monday next.
When we got up, I found that I had to get out of the room without turning my back, as I had secreted my umbrella behind the door and wished to regain possession of it, I was much exercised in this operation. We had not mentioned a word about terms, but when I got back to Bullock’s he told me that he thought Ackland’s suggestion of 3 guineas a week would not be thought too much.
Everything else I suppose I may considered settled….closing….
Your very loving son, J. H. Emory.
Find your roots and hear your ancestors' words across the generations. Discover your origins in old letters as ancestors tell their stories and reveal family relationships, past events, moments in time and details of family history. Add branches to your family tree as you search your ancestry and build your genealogy.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Monday, September 27, 2004
W. L. Huffman, Indiana to James Dixon, Indiana, 1837
This stampless letter has a circular date stamp for PERU, Ind., a handwritten 5 cent rate, and is addressed to James P. Dixon, Esq., Attica, Ind., and is a one page letter written by W.L. Huffman.
The headline is Peru, Ind. April 25, 1837.
Some abstracts:
"We are all well at this moment, and the object of writing this short letter is to inform ou that I now have an opportunity of selling one lot of your land near Huntington, the man offers three dollars pr. acre, for the fractional eighty, cash all paid down in hand."
"The man that wants this lot will wait until I get an answer from you and then I will get on a horse and go up to Huntington and see the land, and give him a final answer."
The headline is Peru, Ind. April 25, 1837.
Some abstracts:
"We are all well at this moment, and the object of writing this short letter is to inform ou that I now have an opportunity of selling one lot of your land near Huntington, the man offers three dollars pr. acre, for the fractional eighty, cash all paid down in hand."
"The man that wants this lot will wait until I get an answer from you and then I will get on a horse and go up to Huntington and see the land, and give him a final answer."
1864 LETTER WRITTEN BY MAJOR ALEXANDER HAMILTON
1864 LETTER WRITTEN BY MAJOR ALEXANDER HAMILTON
~GREAT GRANDSON OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON~
TO FAMOUS POET FITZ-GREENE HALLECK
Alexander Hamilton, born on November 15, 1815, was the son of Colonel John Church Hamilton, and was the great grandson of the zealous Patriot, Alexander Hamilton, who served as Captain of the New York Artillery Company during the Revolutionary War in 1776. He was also the Colonel and aide de camp to George Washington from 1777-1781, and he commanded the Infantry Brigade at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. Colonel Hamilton died on July 12, 1804, in New York City after being fatally wounded in a duel with Aaron Burr.
Major Hamilton was educated by private tutors and attended lectures at Columbia University. He also attended special studies at the United States Military Academy. He served with General Philip Kearny in the 1840s out West and later returned to New York to serve in the Civil War. He was also Aide de Camp to Major General Sandford. Major Hamilton died in 1907 in Tarrytown, New York.
Apparently Major Hamilton was an accomplished playwright for in this letter, Major Hamilton writes to Fitz-Greene Halleck about a play he has written and plans to produce. Fitz-Green Halleck was hailed in the mid-nineteenth century as the most important American poet of the period. Interestingly, he was also one of America’s earliest homosexual poets. Fitz-Greene Halleck was a close friend of William C. Bryant, an associate of Charles Dickens and Washington Irving, and a celebrity sought out by John Jacob Astor and American presidents. Halleck, was an attractive man of wit and charm, was dubbed "the American Byron" because he both employed similar poetic strategies and challenged the most sacred institutions of his day. A large general readership enjoyed his verse, though it was infused with homosexual themes. Halleck's love for another man would be fictionalized in Bayard Taylor's novel Joseph and His Friend a century before the Stonewall riots.
THE ALEXANDER HAMILTON LETTER
"New York, May 27, 1864
Fitz-Greene Halleck, Esq.
Dear Sir
When a boy, you did me the favor to peruse a MSS play of mine—to give it your approval—urge me to have it put upon the stage and to go on.
That play, entitled "Urban" – I could not induce the actors to take hold of—but following your advice, wrote others and among them one entitled "Thomas A. Becket." This I have had printed and today have the honor of sending you a copy. It was published anonymously—but is received with so much favor. My father, your old friend, John C. Hamilton (among many other hearty approvals)—saying ‘it does you very great honor’ that I am now emboldened to acknowledge it. Father told me he had the pleasure of seeing you a few days since in good health, which I trust may long be vouchsafed to you.
This play will be produced in the Fall when I hope to have the honor of sending you tickets.
I am very respectfully,
Truly yours,
Alexander Hamilton,
Major & A.D.C. to Major General Sandford, 17 West 28th Street, New York."
~GREAT GRANDSON OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON~
TO FAMOUS POET FITZ-GREENE HALLECK
Alexander Hamilton, born on November 15, 1815, was the son of Colonel John Church Hamilton, and was the great grandson of the zealous Patriot, Alexander Hamilton, who served as Captain of the New York Artillery Company during the Revolutionary War in 1776. He was also the Colonel and aide de camp to George Washington from 1777-1781, and he commanded the Infantry Brigade at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. Colonel Hamilton died on July 12, 1804, in New York City after being fatally wounded in a duel with Aaron Burr.
Major Hamilton was educated by private tutors and attended lectures at Columbia University. He also attended special studies at the United States Military Academy. He served with General Philip Kearny in the 1840s out West and later returned to New York to serve in the Civil War. He was also Aide de Camp to Major General Sandford. Major Hamilton died in 1907 in Tarrytown, New York.
Apparently Major Hamilton was an accomplished playwright for in this letter, Major Hamilton writes to Fitz-Greene Halleck about a play he has written and plans to produce. Fitz-Green Halleck was hailed in the mid-nineteenth century as the most important American poet of the period. Interestingly, he was also one of America’s earliest homosexual poets. Fitz-Greene Halleck was a close friend of William C. Bryant, an associate of Charles Dickens and Washington Irving, and a celebrity sought out by John Jacob Astor and American presidents. Halleck, was an attractive man of wit and charm, was dubbed "the American Byron" because he both employed similar poetic strategies and challenged the most sacred institutions of his day. A large general readership enjoyed his verse, though it was infused with homosexual themes. Halleck's love for another man would be fictionalized in Bayard Taylor's novel Joseph and His Friend a century before the Stonewall riots.
THE ALEXANDER HAMILTON LETTER
"New York, May 27, 1864
Fitz-Greene Halleck, Esq.
Dear Sir
When a boy, you did me the favor to peruse a MSS play of mine—to give it your approval—urge me to have it put upon the stage and to go on.
That play, entitled "Urban" – I could not induce the actors to take hold of—but following your advice, wrote others and among them one entitled "Thomas A. Becket." This I have had printed and today have the honor of sending you a copy. It was published anonymously—but is received with so much favor. My father, your old friend, John C. Hamilton (among many other hearty approvals)—saying ‘it does you very great honor’ that I am now emboldened to acknowledge it. Father told me he had the pleasure of seeing you a few days since in good health, which I trust may long be vouchsafed to you.
This play will be produced in the Fall when I hope to have the honor of sending you tickets.
I am very respectfully,
Truly yours,
Alexander Hamilton,
Major & A.D.C. to Major General Sandford, 17 West 28th Street, New York."
Monday, September 20, 2004
Civil War Letter from John Howell re Gettysburg
A CIVIL WAR LETTER BY SOLDIER JOHN HOWELL
In addition to his description of the Battle of the Gettysburg and the pivotal battle for the Little Round Top, Howell references the death of his Uncle William Sloan at Spotsylvania Court House.
William Sloan enlisted as Sergeant and mustered into Company "K", 148th PA Infantry on October 2, 1862. The 148th PA was one of the three hundred fighting regiments enumerated in Fox's "Regimental Losses," and participated in the following engagements: Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Po river, Spotsylvania, Totopotomy, Cold Harbor, Prison Guard Salisbury, N. C., first assaults on Petersburg, siege of Petersburg, Jerusalem plank road, Deep Bottom, Reams' station, Hatcher's run, White Oak road and Farmville. For three months after its organization it was engaged in guarding a section of the Northern Central railroad in Maryland, with headquarters at Cockeysville, and joined the Army of the Potomac at Falmouth immediately af-ter the battle of Fredericksburg.
Sgt. Sloan was killed on May 12, 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House. Howell recalls his dear Uncle in his writing.
HOWELL’S LETTER
The letter is quoted in part below. For reading ease, some spelling and grammar has been corrected:
"Mr. John Howell—
Gettysburg, PA is not only the greates battlefield of the Civil War, but is America’s Greatest Battlefield and was the decisive Battle of the war between the North and the South. It fought on the 1 & 2 & 3 days of July 1863, between the Federal Army of the Potomac commanded by General G. Meade and the Confederate Army of the Northern Virginia, commanded by Gen. R.E. Lee….
The key to the battlefield was Little Round Top. There was no road up to the little round top and our men pulled the cannons up by rope tied to the cannon or about 40 men, pulling at the rope and, men at the wheels run one wheel up and hold it there until the other side would push their wheel up and run this cannon up by hand and finally go it up in time to save the Hill. The Rebs were bound to take the Hill and the Hill is nothing but rocks and stones. There was lots of boys lost their lives on that Hill….
May 12, 1864—General Hancock commanding the 2nd Corps. Captured the most of Johnson Division, 20 pieces of artillery and Rebel Johnson and General Stewart and 30 Collars (Colored) and 4000 prisoners and a lot of small armies and ammunition at Spotsylvania…. May 12, 1864…my Uncle, Sergt. W. C. Sloan was killed in this battle…."
General Hunt says he used 81 pieces of artillery at Petersburg and throwed 3833 shells and solid shot and canister in four hours and it was equal 15 tons of metal on the morning of July 30, 1864 at the Battle of the Crater. This fort our men blew up July 20, 1864--had eight tons of powder under this fort and touched off between daylight and sun up and killed 200. Tore a hole 30 feet deep and sixty feet wide and 170 long. I can just see it going up now and that night when our boys were on picket, called over to our boys—‘that was nothing but a damn dirty trick….’"
Here is part of my uncle W. C. Sloan’s letter he wrote home just before he was killed. ‘The mail is just going out. We have had seven days fighting and no telling when it [will] end. We had 5 men killed out of our Co. and 12 wounded yesterday. Our Captain is wounded, Jacob Mast, Ben Thompson and Wansetter and John Balorf and Ben Carl are all killed and the rest are in good hurt and all bound for Richmond, Va.’ Uncle Sloan was killed that day, May 12, 1864 and as nice a boy so ever lived."
In addition to his description of the Battle of the Gettysburg and the pivotal battle for the Little Round Top, Howell references the death of his Uncle William Sloan at Spotsylvania Court House.
William Sloan enlisted as Sergeant and mustered into Company "K", 148th PA Infantry on October 2, 1862. The 148th PA was one of the three hundred fighting regiments enumerated in Fox's "Regimental Losses," and participated in the following engagements: Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Po river, Spotsylvania, Totopotomy, Cold Harbor, Prison Guard Salisbury, N. C., first assaults on Petersburg, siege of Petersburg, Jerusalem plank road, Deep Bottom, Reams' station, Hatcher's run, White Oak road and Farmville. For three months after its organization it was engaged in guarding a section of the Northern Central railroad in Maryland, with headquarters at Cockeysville, and joined the Army of the Potomac at Falmouth immediately af-ter the battle of Fredericksburg.
Sgt. Sloan was killed on May 12, 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House. Howell recalls his dear Uncle in his writing.
HOWELL’S LETTER
The letter is quoted in part below. For reading ease, some spelling and grammar has been corrected:
"Mr. John Howell—
Gettysburg, PA is not only the greates battlefield of the Civil War, but is America’s Greatest Battlefield and was the decisive Battle of the war between the North and the South. It fought on the 1 & 2 & 3 days of July 1863, between the Federal Army of the Potomac commanded by General G. Meade and the Confederate Army of the Northern Virginia, commanded by Gen. R.E. Lee….
The key to the battlefield was Little Round Top. There was no road up to the little round top and our men pulled the cannons up by rope tied to the cannon or about 40 men, pulling at the rope and, men at the wheels run one wheel up and hold it there until the other side would push their wheel up and run this cannon up by hand and finally go it up in time to save the Hill. The Rebs were bound to take the Hill and the Hill is nothing but rocks and stones. There was lots of boys lost their lives on that Hill….
May 12, 1864—General Hancock commanding the 2nd Corps. Captured the most of Johnson Division, 20 pieces of artillery and Rebel Johnson and General Stewart and 30 Collars (Colored) and 4000 prisoners and a lot of small armies and ammunition at Spotsylvania…. May 12, 1864…my Uncle, Sergt. W. C. Sloan was killed in this battle…."
General Hunt says he used 81 pieces of artillery at Petersburg and throwed 3833 shells and solid shot and canister in four hours and it was equal 15 tons of metal on the morning of July 30, 1864 at the Battle of the Crater. This fort our men blew up July 20, 1864--had eight tons of powder under this fort and touched off between daylight and sun up and killed 200. Tore a hole 30 feet deep and sixty feet wide and 170 long. I can just see it going up now and that night when our boys were on picket, called over to our boys—‘that was nothing but a damn dirty trick….’"
Here is part of my uncle W. C. Sloan’s letter he wrote home just before he was killed. ‘The mail is just going out. We have had seven days fighting and no telling when it [will] end. We had 5 men killed out of our Co. and 12 wounded yesterday. Our Captain is wounded, Jacob Mast, Ben Thompson and Wansetter and John Balorf and Ben Carl are all killed and the rest are in good hurt and all bound for Richmond, Va.’ Uncle Sloan was killed that day, May 12, 1864 and as nice a boy so ever lived."
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Civil War 9 Letters: ARTHUR B. WYMAN COMPANY "K", 59TH MASSACHUSETTES INFANTRY
CIVIL WAR
ARTHUR B. WYMAN~COMPANY "K", 59TH MASSACHUSETTES INFANTRY
"It is not half so bad being in a battle as one would suppose. The most is going in and seeing the dead lying about and the wounded being brought out...." Arthur Wyman--Wilderness Battle--May 13, 1864
Material relating to the service of POW Corporal Arthur B. Wyman of the 59th Massachusetts Infantry. Official records reflect that Corporal Wyman enlisted on March 1, 1864 and mustered into Company "K", 59th Massachusetts Infantry on April 21, 1864. In June 1865, his regiment was consolidated with Company "K", 57th Massachusetts Infantry.
Corporal Wyman’s Regiment was an active Regiment. It was engaged at the Wilderness battle and Corporal Wyman and his Regiment were also heavily engaged at the Battle of the Crater, near Petersburg. Here, on July 30, 1864, Corporal Wyman, along with 22 others from his Regiment, was Wounded in Action and, along with 43 others from his Regiment, he was taken Prisoner.
The Crater was a bloody battle. The Confederate defenses at Petersburg were shattered by a huge explosion of a mine planted by Union engineers. However, Union assault troops failed to exploit the mine attack and were brutally and mercilessly shot while in the crater left by the explosion. Wyman was captured and taken to Danville, North Carolina, where he spent six months in a deplorable environment and as an unwelcome guest of the Confederates. Corporal Wyman, along with other Union men, were confined in seven Danville Tobacco Warehouses, not far from the National cemetery that currently holds the remains of many Union men that died there. Those who died at the Danville prison were primarily privates, corporals and sergeants. Many suffered from pneumonia, chronic dysentery, and scorbutus (similar to scurvy).
Ultimately, over the course of the war, Danville prison would be host to more than 7,000 Union soldiers. Corporal Wyman was finally exchanged on February 22, 1865.
Corporal Wyman and his Regiment, attached to the Ninth Army Corps., were also a part of the Union Forces engaged in the Appomattox Campaign on April 9, 1865.
Nine Manuscript Letters
The first seven letters are written by Corporal Wyman. The last two are written by Corporal Wyman’s mother and cousin. In all, 42 pages of tightly written, quality content, manuscript. Only one letter has a canceled cover.
April 29, 1864—4 pages—Wilderness Battle
One Week Post Wilderness battle--May 13, 1864—4 pages (Partial Letter)
April 17, 1865—10 pages
May 2, 1865—4 pages
May 10, 1865—4 pages
May 24, 1865-4 pages
May 26, 1865—4 pages
June 1, 1865—4 pages
June 22, 1865—4pages
HISTORY OF THE 59TH MASSACHUSETTS
The companies of the 59th Mass. were mustered on various dates between Dec. 5, 1863, and April. 21,1864. On May 6, only ten days after the regiment left Massachusetts, it was engaged in the battle of the Wilderness, in the vicinity of the Plank road, losing 12 killed, 27 wounded, and five missing. Colonel Gould being seriously ill, Lieut. Colonel Hodges now took command of the regiment. At Cold Harbor, near Bethesda Church, June 3, the 59th lost two killed, 15 wounded, and about the same number captured or missing. Crossing the James River, June 15, and advancing to the front on the 17th, on the afternoon of that day the regiment joined in the assault made by the 1st Division, losing 13 killed, 49 wounded, and eight missing. Among the mortally wounded was Capt. Samuel A. Bean.
Six weeks later, July 30, 1864, the 59th was engaged in the "Crater" fight, near Petersburg, losing eight killed, 25 wounded, and 47 prisoners. Here Lieut. Colonel Hodges and 1st Lieut. Dunlap were killed. After this disastrous experience the regiment remained in the trenches until the movement to the Weldon Railroad in August. Here, on the l9th, an action took place in which only a portion of the regiment was engaged, but a serious loss was incurred in the death of Adjutant Warren who was mortally wounded and died of his injuries the same day. A few days after this engagement, Colonel Gould was mortally wounded while in command of a brigade.
The 59th remained in camp near the Weldon Railroad until the last of September when it joined in the movement to Poplar Grove Church. Here, on Sept. 30, the regiment lost one killed, eight wounded, and two missing. Not far from this field the 59th went into winter quarters, but was soon ordered to the right of the Petersburg lines near Forts Haskell and Stedman. In February, Lieut. Colonel Colburn, who had Commanded the regiment since August, resigned, and after that time Major Ezra P. Gould was senior officer of the command. In the battle at Fort Stedman, March 25, 1865, the 59th was engaged near Battery XI on the left of the fort and narrowly escaped capture. From this time until the evacuation of Petersburg the regiment lay between Battery XI and Fort Stedman. On April 3, it entered the city of Petersburg, then did duty for over a fortnight guarding the Southside Railroad. About May 1, the 59th was ordered to Washington, and was stationed first at Alexandria and later at Tenallytown. Here, June 20, 1865, the remnant of the 59th was transferred to the 57th, the transfer to be effective as of June 1, and the officers and men were mustered out as a part of that regiment, July 30, 1865. At Readville, Mass., August 9, 1865, the men were paid off and discharged.
THE WYMAN LETTERS
The following are excerpts from all nine of the letters.
Letter Number #1
The following is an excerpt only. There is considerably more content. There is no month referenced on this letter, but there is no question they are on their way to Petersburg—The Battle of the Crater. The letter mentions Lt. Dunlap, who would be killed at Petersburg which puts this letter right at April 29, 1864—a Friday.
"Soldier’s Relief-Alexandria, Virginia Friday April, 29th 1864
My Dear Mother--
I will describe the whole passage, We have marched a great ways today (or it seems so to me), probably not ore than eight or ten miles and I find that I can stand it much better than I thought at first. Our knapsacks are rather heavy and we all have got a good deal of stuff that we shall throw away. Our Lieut. improves every day. He has just told me that he thought he could find room in the officer’s boxes for some of my things. That will be first rate as I have not many things that I wish to throw away. We have also got a first rate 1st Lieut. (Dunlap is 2ND ) I like him and our Captain almost as well as Dunlap, but I am not so well acquainted with the. . [Wyman refers here to Lt. James Dunlap who would be killed in action at the Battle of the Wilderness.] It’s a rather queer way to do business I think, to send a Regiment ahead and no one knowing where we are going, but we shall find out soon enough, I’ll warrant.
We are rushing the troops ahead double quick, veterans, troops and all, and you may be pretty sure that there is work ahead. If I do not write before, you may expect a letter from me, dated Richmond about the 4th of July. I will just give you an outline of our journey, so if you do not receive another letter for a month or two, you may know the states and cities that I have seen with my own eyes…."
Letter Number #2
I have quoted it below in its entirety. It is written exactly one week post Battle of the Wilderness. I assume it is written to his mother.
On or about May 13, 1864
"How little you or I thought when you fixed my things so nicely that they were destined to cloth and comfort the Rebels instead of myself. Probably by this time, some ‘Johnni’ has my shirt and stockings—another my overcoat. One is making a letter with my pen and ink upon my paper. Another is mending my coat with my pretty little needle—uses that $500 would not have bought.
I will tell you how I lost them. On the morning of the ‘Battle of the Wilderness’, a week ago, last Friday. We were marched for some distance in order to give us the pleasure of assisting in the fight. By the time we reached the [Wilderness] Battle field or rather woods, that’s the Rebel’s style—sneaking behind trees, we were rather tired and my knapsack weighed down. Well they marched us ahead until the bullets began to fly a little, then halted. I know that I could not do anything with my knapsack on, so I dropped it. I took out all the little things I wished to have and put them in my overcoat pocket, intending to take it with me. The order came to forward so I had to leave it. Some ‘Johnni’ is rejoicing and I’m mourning. The way the Rebs got it was driving us back about a mile. Pretty story to tell, isn’t it?
The 59th did not break first, but a Regiment of Regulars. The other Regiments fell in one by one—making a retreat very much like Bull Run of old. It did no harm, however, as we recovered all our lost ground and more, too! Our Company was complimented highly in the last fight (last Thursday). Our Captain told us, he was proud of us. He said that he had been in ‘crack’ Regiments, but never saw one stand up to the mark like the old 59th! He said we beat the Veterans all out! I tell you that there is not much run in the Union Army. They make no more of bullets than as if they were rotten apples.
There is a very good prospect that they may look at it for us to get Richmond in a short time and if we do get it, then the war is played out. There has been a report that it has been taken, but it is not generally credited. However, Old Butler is pretty near it and they say that there is an army man, Hooker between the Rebs in front of us and Richmond. If so, they have to look sharp.
There is another report about camp today viz., that we are to back to Fredricksburg tomorrow to rest and get ready for another start. I don’t believe it honored. I think they will shove us right ahead. I don’t care if we don’t get hit when we go. It is not half so bad being in a battle, as one would suppose. The most is going in and seeing the dead lying about and the wounded being brought out. After we are in, ‘Everything is Lovely’. I actually caught myself laughing once or twice to see our men perform. I suppose we are all old veterans now.
I shall be perfectly satisfied to rest a while now after seeing two good fights, but if I am not mistaken, we shall see two more before long. A little while ago, I should have thought is hard to march 3 ½ miles and back. After being in a fight, through the rain and mud, after dark for my supper… Some twenty of us did not get any [supper], so we went to bed without any. Yesterday, we went about four miles and brought in some hardtack. My knapsack (I have bought another) was stuffed full. We have fresh beef and coffee, so the danger of starving is over.
I hope that you have received my letters. I have written five to Woburn, four home and one not home. I have not received any since we left Readville and do not expect to until this campaign is over as it is difficult—almost impossible to get letters to a Regiment when they are on the move everyday or two. However, by and by, I shall get them all in a heap. I know of no way to send this letter, but I thought I would write it and wait my opportunity of sending it sometime. I rather anxious about you receiving the other letters as one of them contained thirty dollars. Try and read this letter somehow, it is written very badly. Give my love to all and have no fears about me as I shall come out all right.
Yours affectionately…Arthur Wyman"
Letter Number #3
"Parole Camp—Annapolis—April 17, 1865
Dear Mother--
…We arrived in New York about six and crossed over to Jersey City, where we took the half-past seven train for Philadelphia. At New York, we first heard the report of the Assassination of President Lincoln. Terrible, ain’t it? It almost spoils all the good news we’ve had. However, I don’t think that the condition of the Rebels will be improved by the event as they will have a harder man to deal with on Vice President Johnson than ever they had before….
We arrived at Baltimore about six o’clock. Here we heard that the trains between Washington and principle cities had been stopped on account of the assassination—that it would be impossible for us to go further than Annapolis. The ticket master, however, said that we could go right through to Parole Camp—so we started.
There are very few [soldiers] here now and it is very lonesome. I shall be homesick if I remain here long. They are sending them off every week for the front and I shall try to go with the next lot. All the soldiers here are anxious to go to the front now that the fight is over and see that they have started recruiting and hear that they are going to discharge everything excepting what is absolutely necessary so it looks as if the war is nearly over…."
Letter Number #4
"Camp Near Georgetown—May 2nd 1865
My Dear Sister--
…When I wrote you the other day, I was detailed at the brigade commissary. I was to be a permanent officer and was a very easy place. Yesterday, however, Sergt. C. wanted clerk and so with the permission of the Lieutenant in charge of the Co., he detailed another man in my place and at present I am company clerk….Charles Richardson wrote me that I was down on the rolls as a Private and sure enough, when we came to be mustered in on Sunday, it was so. But they changed it, and it is alright now….
I have not seen Battery 11 since I have been here. I guess that it is not in the region…. We have plenty of music here. There is scarcely a moment during the day but what some band is playing. I like to hear it, however…"
Letter Number #5
"Division 9th Army Corps--May 9, 1865
My Dear Mother--
…We are having the same kind of weather that we had a year ago at Spotsylvania, only we are in a little different situation. We had a hard time of it last Summer, but it is pleasant to look back upon now. I would not sell my experience for anything!
I wrote Ceclia to ask Father to send some money. I don’t want much—two or three dollars will do. I want a little occasionally to buy something of the Commissary. We have a Subtler here, but he charges enormous prices for his things and I had rather not buy much of him….
We still keep hearing reports every day as to where we are going. One day we are going home, the next we are to Texas*** and again we are to remain where we are. I place no confidence in any of their reports, but let it go in one ear and out the other. Nothing would please me better than to go home…."
***Note--Between May 12 and 13, 1864, a month after General Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, the final major conflict of the Civil War took place at Palmetto Ranch, Texas, also known as Palmetto Hill. Fighting along the Rio Grande River between Union and Confederate forces had halted in March 1865 after a cease-fire agreement had been made. On May 11, 1865, Col. Theodore Barrett decided to break this agreement and sent some 250 men from the 62nd US Colored Regiment and 50 from the 2nd Texas Cavalry to attack the various Confederate outposts and camps. Ironically, the final battle of the Civil War was won by the Confederacy.
Letter Number #6
"May 24, 1865—Waltham
My Dear Arthur--
"I suppose you have been today and yesterday in the midst of the bustle and excitement of the Grand Review in Washington. As I see by the paper, the Fifty-Ninth Regiment is among the others in the big procession.
After having spent a week brushing up and mending your regimentals, scouring your guns and shooting apparatus, till they shown like a new coffee pot, polishing your boots so that you may see your face in them, you cannot look otherwise than perfectly irresistible and a model soldier. I rather expect to see you mentioned in the account of the review as ‘particularly noticeable for noble and soldierly bearing strict conformity to military rule…and never be obliged to hop-skip to get into step and keep up with the company! Also for neatness of dress and accoutrements.’ I am glad to see you as having such a fine day and no mud! (I have heard of the Washington mud)….
Letter Number #7
"Tennallytown May 26, 1865
My Dear Sister--
…There is pretty strong talk of going to Texas, but I hope there is nothing to it. Old Kirby Smith hasn’t surrendered and he may yet make some trouble if he chooses. Allen Barrett and Billy Brown of the 39th were here last evening also Lieut. Conn. [Charles K. Conn was wounded and taken Prisoner at Laurel Hill. He was also wounded on February 6, 1865 at Hatcher’s Run.]
Will finish this letter in the morning, that is if we don’t start for Texas during the night. By the way if they start--as for that place—I think that I shall desert!
Letter Number #8
"Tennallytown--June 1, 1864
My Dear Mother--
…We are to be consolidated with the 57th Regiment in a few days. The order was read on dress parade last evening. So, I suppose that I shall lose my place as Co. Clerk. I suppose that we shall lose two or three officers and possibly some drummers and non-commissioned officers, but most of them will remain and it will not make much difference with us….
The consolidation that I spoke of has taken place this afternoon ad we are now Co. "K", 57th. The old 59th is no more. I do not like the change, but suppose that I must put up with it. We have a good Captain. That is that they all say that he is a first rate man and what I have seen of him, I like him first rate…. Perkins of Co H (perhaps you remember him, he enlisted about the time that I did) has returned from the hospital to the Company for duty. [Uriah Perkins was also a Sharpshooter with Company "G", U.S. Army 2nd]…."
Letter Number #9
"Waltham June 22, 1865--
My Dear Boy--
…I am sorry that the brave fifty-ninth will be known no more except in history, but it has made its mark and gained honor and a reputation in this war. I was in the State House a short time ago, and saw the battle flags which are placed there—relics of so many battlefields and mute witnesses of the terrible struggles they have passed through. Besides the 44th and 45th and 16th Regiments, (the only other ones except yours in which I was particularly interested) I looked for the 59th and found a hard looking flag. It had the appearance of having been badly abused. As you was a color corporal or something of the kind, ought you not to have looked after it a little and not allowed it to get so shabby and soiled!…"
ARTHUR B. WYMAN~COMPANY "K", 59TH MASSACHUSETTES INFANTRY
"It is not half so bad being in a battle as one would suppose. The most is going in and seeing the dead lying about and the wounded being brought out...." Arthur Wyman--Wilderness Battle--May 13, 1864
Material relating to the service of POW Corporal Arthur B. Wyman of the 59th Massachusetts Infantry. Official records reflect that Corporal Wyman enlisted on March 1, 1864 and mustered into Company "K", 59th Massachusetts Infantry on April 21, 1864. In June 1865, his regiment was consolidated with Company "K", 57th Massachusetts Infantry.
Corporal Wyman’s Regiment was an active Regiment. It was engaged at the Wilderness battle and Corporal Wyman and his Regiment were also heavily engaged at the Battle of the Crater, near Petersburg. Here, on July 30, 1864, Corporal Wyman, along with 22 others from his Regiment, was Wounded in Action and, along with 43 others from his Regiment, he was taken Prisoner.
The Crater was a bloody battle. The Confederate defenses at Petersburg were shattered by a huge explosion of a mine planted by Union engineers. However, Union assault troops failed to exploit the mine attack and were brutally and mercilessly shot while in the crater left by the explosion. Wyman was captured and taken to Danville, North Carolina, where he spent six months in a deplorable environment and as an unwelcome guest of the Confederates. Corporal Wyman, along with other Union men, were confined in seven Danville Tobacco Warehouses, not far from the National cemetery that currently holds the remains of many Union men that died there. Those who died at the Danville prison were primarily privates, corporals and sergeants. Many suffered from pneumonia, chronic dysentery, and scorbutus (similar to scurvy).
Ultimately, over the course of the war, Danville prison would be host to more than 7,000 Union soldiers. Corporal Wyman was finally exchanged on February 22, 1865.
Corporal Wyman and his Regiment, attached to the Ninth Army Corps., were also a part of the Union Forces engaged in the Appomattox Campaign on April 9, 1865.
Nine Manuscript Letters
The first seven letters are written by Corporal Wyman. The last two are written by Corporal Wyman’s mother and cousin. In all, 42 pages of tightly written, quality content, manuscript. Only one letter has a canceled cover.
April 29, 1864—4 pages—Wilderness Battle
One Week Post Wilderness battle--May 13, 1864—4 pages (Partial Letter)
April 17, 1865—10 pages
May 2, 1865—4 pages
May 10, 1865—4 pages
May 24, 1865-4 pages
May 26, 1865—4 pages
June 1, 1865—4 pages
June 22, 1865—4pages
HISTORY OF THE 59TH MASSACHUSETTS
The companies of the 59th Mass. were mustered on various dates between Dec. 5, 1863, and April. 21,1864. On May 6, only ten days after the regiment left Massachusetts, it was engaged in the battle of the Wilderness, in the vicinity of the Plank road, losing 12 killed, 27 wounded, and five missing. Colonel Gould being seriously ill, Lieut. Colonel Hodges now took command of the regiment. At Cold Harbor, near Bethesda Church, June 3, the 59th lost two killed, 15 wounded, and about the same number captured or missing. Crossing the James River, June 15, and advancing to the front on the 17th, on the afternoon of that day the regiment joined in the assault made by the 1st Division, losing 13 killed, 49 wounded, and eight missing. Among the mortally wounded was Capt. Samuel A. Bean.
Six weeks later, July 30, 1864, the 59th was engaged in the "Crater" fight, near Petersburg, losing eight killed, 25 wounded, and 47 prisoners. Here Lieut. Colonel Hodges and 1st Lieut. Dunlap were killed. After this disastrous experience the regiment remained in the trenches until the movement to the Weldon Railroad in August. Here, on the l9th, an action took place in which only a portion of the regiment was engaged, but a serious loss was incurred in the death of Adjutant Warren who was mortally wounded and died of his injuries the same day. A few days after this engagement, Colonel Gould was mortally wounded while in command of a brigade.
The 59th remained in camp near the Weldon Railroad until the last of September when it joined in the movement to Poplar Grove Church. Here, on Sept. 30, the regiment lost one killed, eight wounded, and two missing. Not far from this field the 59th went into winter quarters, but was soon ordered to the right of the Petersburg lines near Forts Haskell and Stedman. In February, Lieut. Colonel Colburn, who had Commanded the regiment since August, resigned, and after that time Major Ezra P. Gould was senior officer of the command. In the battle at Fort Stedman, March 25, 1865, the 59th was engaged near Battery XI on the left of the fort and narrowly escaped capture. From this time until the evacuation of Petersburg the regiment lay between Battery XI and Fort Stedman. On April 3, it entered the city of Petersburg, then did duty for over a fortnight guarding the Southside Railroad. About May 1, the 59th was ordered to Washington, and was stationed first at Alexandria and later at Tenallytown. Here, June 20, 1865, the remnant of the 59th was transferred to the 57th, the transfer to be effective as of June 1, and the officers and men were mustered out as a part of that regiment, July 30, 1865. At Readville, Mass., August 9, 1865, the men were paid off and discharged.
THE WYMAN LETTERS
The following are excerpts from all nine of the letters.
Letter Number #1
The following is an excerpt only. There is considerably more content. There is no month referenced on this letter, but there is no question they are on their way to Petersburg—The Battle of the Crater. The letter mentions Lt. Dunlap, who would be killed at Petersburg which puts this letter right at April 29, 1864—a Friday.
"Soldier’s Relief-Alexandria, Virginia Friday April, 29th 1864
My Dear Mother--
I will describe the whole passage, We have marched a great ways today (or it seems so to me), probably not ore than eight or ten miles and I find that I can stand it much better than I thought at first. Our knapsacks are rather heavy and we all have got a good deal of stuff that we shall throw away. Our Lieut. improves every day. He has just told me that he thought he could find room in the officer’s boxes for some of my things. That will be first rate as I have not many things that I wish to throw away. We have also got a first rate 1st Lieut. (Dunlap is 2ND ) I like him and our Captain almost as well as Dunlap, but I am not so well acquainted with the. . [Wyman refers here to Lt. James Dunlap who would be killed in action at the Battle of the Wilderness.] It’s a rather queer way to do business I think, to send a Regiment ahead and no one knowing where we are going, but we shall find out soon enough, I’ll warrant.
We are rushing the troops ahead double quick, veterans, troops and all, and you may be pretty sure that there is work ahead. If I do not write before, you may expect a letter from me, dated Richmond about the 4th of July. I will just give you an outline of our journey, so if you do not receive another letter for a month or two, you may know the states and cities that I have seen with my own eyes…."
Letter Number #2
I have quoted it below in its entirety. It is written exactly one week post Battle of the Wilderness. I assume it is written to his mother.
On or about May 13, 1864
"How little you or I thought when you fixed my things so nicely that they were destined to cloth and comfort the Rebels instead of myself. Probably by this time, some ‘Johnni’ has my shirt and stockings—another my overcoat. One is making a letter with my pen and ink upon my paper. Another is mending my coat with my pretty little needle—uses that $500 would not have bought.
I will tell you how I lost them. On the morning of the ‘Battle of the Wilderness’, a week ago, last Friday. We were marched for some distance in order to give us the pleasure of assisting in the fight. By the time we reached the [Wilderness] Battle field or rather woods, that’s the Rebel’s style—sneaking behind trees, we were rather tired and my knapsack weighed down. Well they marched us ahead until the bullets began to fly a little, then halted. I know that I could not do anything with my knapsack on, so I dropped it. I took out all the little things I wished to have and put them in my overcoat pocket, intending to take it with me. The order came to forward so I had to leave it. Some ‘Johnni’ is rejoicing and I’m mourning. The way the Rebs got it was driving us back about a mile. Pretty story to tell, isn’t it?
The 59th did not break first, but a Regiment of Regulars. The other Regiments fell in one by one—making a retreat very much like Bull Run of old. It did no harm, however, as we recovered all our lost ground and more, too! Our Company was complimented highly in the last fight (last Thursday). Our Captain told us, he was proud of us. He said that he had been in ‘crack’ Regiments, but never saw one stand up to the mark like the old 59th! He said we beat the Veterans all out! I tell you that there is not much run in the Union Army. They make no more of bullets than as if they were rotten apples.
There is a very good prospect that they may look at it for us to get Richmond in a short time and if we do get it, then the war is played out. There has been a report that it has been taken, but it is not generally credited. However, Old Butler is pretty near it and they say that there is an army man, Hooker between the Rebs in front of us and Richmond. If so, they have to look sharp.
There is another report about camp today viz., that we are to back to Fredricksburg tomorrow to rest and get ready for another start. I don’t believe it honored. I think they will shove us right ahead. I don’t care if we don’t get hit when we go. It is not half so bad being in a battle, as one would suppose. The most is going in and seeing the dead lying about and the wounded being brought out. After we are in, ‘Everything is Lovely’. I actually caught myself laughing once or twice to see our men perform. I suppose we are all old veterans now.
I shall be perfectly satisfied to rest a while now after seeing two good fights, but if I am not mistaken, we shall see two more before long. A little while ago, I should have thought is hard to march 3 ½ miles and back. After being in a fight, through the rain and mud, after dark for my supper… Some twenty of us did not get any [supper], so we went to bed without any. Yesterday, we went about four miles and brought in some hardtack. My knapsack (I have bought another) was stuffed full. We have fresh beef and coffee, so the danger of starving is over.
I hope that you have received my letters. I have written five to Woburn, four home and one not home. I have not received any since we left Readville and do not expect to until this campaign is over as it is difficult—almost impossible to get letters to a Regiment when they are on the move everyday or two. However, by and by, I shall get them all in a heap. I know of no way to send this letter, but I thought I would write it and wait my opportunity of sending it sometime. I rather anxious about you receiving the other letters as one of them contained thirty dollars. Try and read this letter somehow, it is written very badly. Give my love to all and have no fears about me as I shall come out all right.
Yours affectionately…Arthur Wyman"
Letter Number #3
"Parole Camp—Annapolis—April 17, 1865
Dear Mother--
…We arrived in New York about six and crossed over to Jersey City, where we took the half-past seven train for Philadelphia. At New York, we first heard the report of the Assassination of President Lincoln. Terrible, ain’t it? It almost spoils all the good news we’ve had. However, I don’t think that the condition of the Rebels will be improved by the event as they will have a harder man to deal with on Vice President Johnson than ever they had before….
We arrived at Baltimore about six o’clock. Here we heard that the trains between Washington and principle cities had been stopped on account of the assassination—that it would be impossible for us to go further than Annapolis. The ticket master, however, said that we could go right through to Parole Camp—so we started.
There are very few [soldiers] here now and it is very lonesome. I shall be homesick if I remain here long. They are sending them off every week for the front and I shall try to go with the next lot. All the soldiers here are anxious to go to the front now that the fight is over and see that they have started recruiting and hear that they are going to discharge everything excepting what is absolutely necessary so it looks as if the war is nearly over…."
Letter Number #4
"Camp Near Georgetown—May 2nd 1865
My Dear Sister--
…When I wrote you the other day, I was detailed at the brigade commissary. I was to be a permanent officer and was a very easy place. Yesterday, however, Sergt. C. wanted clerk and so with the permission of the Lieutenant in charge of the Co., he detailed another man in my place and at present I am company clerk….Charles Richardson wrote me that I was down on the rolls as a Private and sure enough, when we came to be mustered in on Sunday, it was so. But they changed it, and it is alright now….
I have not seen Battery 11 since I have been here. I guess that it is not in the region…. We have plenty of music here. There is scarcely a moment during the day but what some band is playing. I like to hear it, however…"
Letter Number #5
"Division 9th Army Corps--May 9, 1865
My Dear Mother--
…We are having the same kind of weather that we had a year ago at Spotsylvania, only we are in a little different situation. We had a hard time of it last Summer, but it is pleasant to look back upon now. I would not sell my experience for anything!
I wrote Ceclia to ask Father to send some money. I don’t want much—two or three dollars will do. I want a little occasionally to buy something of the Commissary. We have a Subtler here, but he charges enormous prices for his things and I had rather not buy much of him….
We still keep hearing reports every day as to where we are going. One day we are going home, the next we are to Texas*** and again we are to remain where we are. I place no confidence in any of their reports, but let it go in one ear and out the other. Nothing would please me better than to go home…."
***Note--Between May 12 and 13, 1864, a month after General Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, the final major conflict of the Civil War took place at Palmetto Ranch, Texas, also known as Palmetto Hill. Fighting along the Rio Grande River between Union and Confederate forces had halted in March 1865 after a cease-fire agreement had been made. On May 11, 1865, Col. Theodore Barrett decided to break this agreement and sent some 250 men from the 62nd US Colored Regiment and 50 from the 2nd Texas Cavalry to attack the various Confederate outposts and camps. Ironically, the final battle of the Civil War was won by the Confederacy.
Letter Number #6
"May 24, 1865—Waltham
My Dear Arthur--
"I suppose you have been today and yesterday in the midst of the bustle and excitement of the Grand Review in Washington. As I see by the paper, the Fifty-Ninth Regiment is among the others in the big procession.
After having spent a week brushing up and mending your regimentals, scouring your guns and shooting apparatus, till they shown like a new coffee pot, polishing your boots so that you may see your face in them, you cannot look otherwise than perfectly irresistible and a model soldier. I rather expect to see you mentioned in the account of the review as ‘particularly noticeable for noble and soldierly bearing strict conformity to military rule…and never be obliged to hop-skip to get into step and keep up with the company! Also for neatness of dress and accoutrements.’ I am glad to see you as having such a fine day and no mud! (I have heard of the Washington mud)….
Letter Number #7
"Tennallytown May 26, 1865
My Dear Sister--
…There is pretty strong talk of going to Texas, but I hope there is nothing to it. Old Kirby Smith hasn’t surrendered and he may yet make some trouble if he chooses. Allen Barrett and Billy Brown of the 39th were here last evening also Lieut. Conn. [Charles K. Conn was wounded and taken Prisoner at Laurel Hill. He was also wounded on February 6, 1865 at Hatcher’s Run.]
Will finish this letter in the morning, that is if we don’t start for Texas during the night. By the way if they start--as for that place—I think that I shall desert!
Letter Number #8
"Tennallytown--June 1, 1864
My Dear Mother--
…We are to be consolidated with the 57th Regiment in a few days. The order was read on dress parade last evening. So, I suppose that I shall lose my place as Co. Clerk. I suppose that we shall lose two or three officers and possibly some drummers and non-commissioned officers, but most of them will remain and it will not make much difference with us….
The consolidation that I spoke of has taken place this afternoon ad we are now Co. "K", 57th. The old 59th is no more. I do not like the change, but suppose that I must put up with it. We have a good Captain. That is that they all say that he is a first rate man and what I have seen of him, I like him first rate…. Perkins of Co H (perhaps you remember him, he enlisted about the time that I did) has returned from the hospital to the Company for duty. [Uriah Perkins was also a Sharpshooter with Company "G", U.S. Army 2nd]…."
Letter Number #9
"Waltham June 22, 1865--
My Dear Boy--
…I am sorry that the brave fifty-ninth will be known no more except in history, but it has made its mark and gained honor and a reputation in this war. I was in the State House a short time ago, and saw the battle flags which are placed there—relics of so many battlefields and mute witnesses of the terrible struggles they have passed through. Besides the 44th and 45th and 16th Regiments, (the only other ones except yours in which I was particularly interested) I looked for the 59th and found a hard looking flag. It had the appearance of having been badly abused. As you was a color corporal or something of the kind, ought you not to have looked after it a little and not allowed it to get so shabby and soiled!…"
Friday, September 10, 2004
Civil War: George R. Adderton, 1865, Virginia
GEORGE R. ADDERTON LETTER
Dated March 2, 1865 at Camp Near Stoney Creek, Virginia.
Adderton was from Guilford County, North Carolina. He enlisted on March 23, 1863 and mustered into Company "A" NC 5th Cavalry. His regiment was involved in the Sappony Church or Stoney Creek Depot Battle in June 1864. It is unknown whether Adderton survived the war. He was listed on the rolls in October of 1864, but after that, who knows?
Though he didn’t know it at the time, George Adderton wrote this letter when the war was soon to draw to a close. On March 25, 1865, the last offensive for Lee's Army of Northern Virginia began with an attack on the center of Grant's forces at Petersburg. Four hours later the attack was broken. On April 2, 1865, a mere 30 days after Adderton’s letter was written, Grant's forces began a general advance and broke through Lee's lines at Petersburg. Confederate Gen. Ambrose P. Hill was killed. Lee evacuated Petersburg. The Confederate Capital, Richmond, was evacuated. Fires and looting break out. The next day, Union troops enter and raise the Stars and Stripes. On April 9, 1865, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate Army to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
Adderton writes his family regarding the Yankees and the slaves. The letter states in part (Spelling and Grammer corrected):
"I hear that all you in North Carolina are all scared to death about the Yankees. I don’t think there is much danger. I recon the home guards are scared to death but I think they will hear the eleventh bellow before this war comes to a close.[I believe Adderton is referring to the 11th Battalion North Carolina Home Guard here.] I hear there is a good many ? in Randolph County, but I think they will be caught and punished.
Dated March 2, 1865 at Camp Near Stoney Creek, Virginia.
Adderton was from Guilford County, North Carolina. He enlisted on March 23, 1863 and mustered into Company "A" NC 5th Cavalry. His regiment was involved in the Sappony Church or Stoney Creek Depot Battle in June 1864. It is unknown whether Adderton survived the war. He was listed on the rolls in October of 1864, but after that, who knows?
Though he didn’t know it at the time, George Adderton wrote this letter when the war was soon to draw to a close. On March 25, 1865, the last offensive for Lee's Army of Northern Virginia began with an attack on the center of Grant's forces at Petersburg. Four hours later the attack was broken. On April 2, 1865, a mere 30 days after Adderton’s letter was written, Grant's forces began a general advance and broke through Lee's lines at Petersburg. Confederate Gen. Ambrose P. Hill was killed. Lee evacuated Petersburg. The Confederate Capital, Richmond, was evacuated. Fires and looting break out. The next day, Union troops enter and raise the Stars and Stripes. On April 9, 1865, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate Army to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
Adderton writes his family regarding the Yankees and the slaves. The letter states in part (Spelling and Grammer corrected):
"I hear that all you in North Carolina are all scared to death about the Yankees. I don’t think there is much danger. I recon the home guards are scared to death but I think they will hear the eleventh bellow before this war comes to a close.[I believe Adderton is referring to the 11th Battalion North Carolina Home Guard here.] I hear there is a good many ? in Randolph County, but I think they will be caught and punished.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Mary Kempson to Mrs. Seth Alden, Massachusetts, 1848
This stampless letter has a circular date stamp for PHILLIPS, MAINE, a matching boxed 5 cent rate, and is addressed to Mrs. Seth Alden, Fair Haven, Mass., and is a three page letter written by Mary M. Kempson.
The headline is Phillips, Maine, May 1st, 1848.
Some abstracts:
"I was married only two weeks before you. Don't you think it was quite a remarkable coincidence that two of Lucia's Apprentices should enter the state of matrimony so near a time and both go into the country to live, for we are living upon a farm too. George has bought one since we arrived here ..."
"... so you see Keziah I am situated about the same as yurself if we are a good many miles apart." "We left Hudson the 22 of March Tuesday after noon and stayed one night in Boston, an afternoon and night in Portland and one in Augusta and arrived in Phillips the next Saturday at eleven o clock at night."
"I enjoyed myself very much in Hudson, did a lot of sewing and knit me some sidies [?], sister Charlotte was there on a visit but Brother William did not come up from New York after her untill a week after I came away so that I did not see him again after the morning we were married. We left both of our Daguerrotypes there and Brother carried mine back with Him."
"I suppose you did not receive any Valentines for I did not. The beaus soon forget
The headline is Phillips, Maine, May 1st, 1848.
Some abstracts:
"I was married only two weeks before you. Don't you think it was quite a remarkable coincidence that two of Lucia's Apprentices should enter the state of matrimony so near a time and both go into the country to live, for we are living upon a farm too. George has bought one since we arrived here ..."
"... so you see Keziah I am situated about the same as yurself if we are a good many miles apart." "We left Hudson the 22 of March Tuesday after noon and stayed one night in Boston, an afternoon and night in Portland and one in Augusta and arrived in Phillips the next Saturday at eleven o clock at night."
"I enjoyed myself very much in Hudson, did a lot of sewing and knit me some sidies [?], sister Charlotte was there on a visit but Brother William did not come up from New York after her untill a week after I came away so that I did not see him again after the morning we were married. We left both of our Daguerrotypes there and Brother carried mine back with Him."
"I suppose you did not receive any Valentines for I did not. The beaus soon forget
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Civil War: Francis Aubin of NEW YORK ZOUAVES~GARRARD’S TIGERS
THIRTY-EIGHT (38) letters authored by a Zouave—a 44-year old, French Canadian by the name of Francis Aubin.
The letters were written to his daughter, Eliza Aubin. Each letter is authored by Francis Aubin as he struggles to communicate with his family from the front lines. There are a few letters with terrific Patriotic letterheads. One letter is written on official letterhead from "The Headquarters of the 146th Regt. N. York Vols., Col. Garrard," depicting an engraving of the Capitol Building, with the "Dome’s" construction completed.
One of the letters was written on the reverse side of an 1861 Civil War Military broadsidewhich was no doubt given to Francis Aubin just before he enlisted. The broadside’s title reads, "AN ACT, To Provide for the Allotment Certificates Among the Volunteer Forces." Please click on the enlargement below for a more thorough review of the ACT.
Some of the postal marks include cancellations from Reading, PA; Washington; Easton, PA; New York, Lancaster, PA; Fredericksburg, MD; and Rome, NY.
THE FRENCH-CANADIAN CONNECTION DURING THE CIVIL WAR
French-Canadians were one of the most fascinating, colorful, and important groups present in the Union forces. The archive offered here is indeed a special one, and it is doubtful that you will run into another like it in a lifetime, especially an archive which includes a Gettysburg/Little Round Top dated letter.
Though thousands of Franco-Americans appear to have served in the conflict, the exact number is largely unclear. There are no truly reliable statistics concerning foreign enlistments in the Union forces. Consequently, only rough estimates can be made. Most scholars tend to claim that anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 Franco-Americans, many of whom would have been born in the United States or had resided there for several years, served in the Union forces.
The uniform of the Garrard’s Tigers is pictured exactly on page 130 of the book, "Echoes of Glory". It consisted of the following:
Headgear - Scarlet fez with yellow tassel, turban worn for dress
Jacket - Sky blue Zouave jacket with yellow trim and tombeaux
Trousers - Sky blue Chasseur trousers
Sash - Scarlet sash with yellow edging
Leggings - Canvas leggings with russet leather jambiéres
A historian, who has examined all enlistment estimates reported that most of the forty thousand or more ‘Canadians’ who enlisted probably were third and even forth generation French-Canadian Americans. Most nineteenth-century estimates of Franco-American participation in the Civil War tend to be high. In May of 1864, the Catholic Bishop of Montreal, Msgr. Ignace Bourget (1799-1885), warned the priests of his diocese that at least 25,000 French Canadians were taking part in the fighting on the Union side and that unless something was done to stop them from enlisting, more would be headed for the boucherie (slaughterhouse).
It is probably safe to state that anywhere from ten to twenty thousand French Canadians and Franco-Americans served in the Union forces during the Civil War. Twenty thousand represents an ambitious but not impossible maximum. Nonetheless, the true figure would likely be closer to the ten than the twenty thousand enlistments mark. An overwhelming proportion of these men enlisted in the army. Only a very small number of French Canadians seem to have served in the Union navy.
We will never know exactly how many Franco-Americans fought and died in the Civil War. During the first half of the war, no records were kept of the birthplace or parentage of enlisted men. When such information was at last requested, recruiting agents frequently filled in the forms with guesses or falsified information to fill state or town quotas. Moreover, Yankee recruiting officers often saw very little difference between an Acadian, a French Canadian, a Frenchman or a French-speaking Belgian or Swiss recruit. All francophones might thus end up being lumped into a large "French" group.
HISTORY OF THE 146TH NEW YORK ZOUAVES~GARRARD’S TIGERS
The 146th was organized at Rome, N.Y., and mustered in on October 10, 1862. The Regiment left the state for Washington, D.C., on October 11, 1862. It was attached to Casey's Division, Defenses of Washington, until November, 1862. From there on until March 1864, it was attached to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. The 146th New York Zouaves was the only Zouave Unit in the 5th Army Corps.
Originally called the "Fifth Oneida" Regiment and the "Halleck Infantry", the 146th NY went off to war in 1862 under Colonel Kenner Garrard, a veteran West Pointer. Garrard expected his volunteers to live up to the standards of the "Old Army", and the regiment was assigned to General Sykes' Division of the Army of the Potomac, a division composed mainly of U.S. Regulars.
Francis Aubin was the ripe old age of 44 years when he enlisted as a private on August 21, 1862. An immigrant of Canada, he mustered into Company "D", 146th New York Infantry on October 10, 1862. Private Aubin was one of the founding recruits of the unit, enlisting in September 1862, one month before his unit was officially mustered into service. At the beginning, Aubin and his Regiment were at Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C., until November 1862.
Almost immediately after they were mustered in, the 146th NY, were thrust into battle action, suffering brutal and significant losses at Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Little Round Top at Gettysburg, where for its performance on the battlefield, its Commander, Colonel Garrard, was promoted to Brigadier General. The last action that Private Aubin saw with the 146th New York Zouaves was in the Regiment’s pursuit of Lee from July 5 through 24, 1863. On September 3, 1863, Aubin was transferred to the Veterans Corps, formerly known as the Invalid Corps.
Francis Aubin’s native language was French. How difficult it must have been for Aubin to communicate with his fellow soldiers and commanding officers. . His letters reflect his lack of command of the English language. He struggles to communicate his thoughts in phonetic English. Many of the letters from him are written in a different hand as he managed to convince a volunteer to write his letters for him.
EXCERPTS OF AUBIN LETTERS
Ssome of the letters are difficult to read as they are in broken English. But once you have read a few, it does become easier as you decipher the dialect. A few contain a mixture of French and broken English, which only serves as a reminder about how difficult it must have been for this 44-year old man. How brave a man must have been to enlist in the Civil War. But to volunteer as Francis Aubin did--the sheer determination and courage of a man who willingly enlists into a foreign jurisdiction for a Cause he probably did not understand andwithout the basic benefit of speaking the same language as his comrades, must indeed have been a grueling, discouraging, and frustrating experience.
The quotes from the letters follow
"September 11, 1862—Camp Huntington (Rome)
Dear Eliza--
I write to inform you that I have volunteered in the service, and when you write to me, direct as above so that I may know where to direct letter with money in it for you. I am well and hope you are the same. I shall have not far short of $200. I shall want you to keep the check for me until I come back from the war…."
The following penciled letter is written in Aubin’s hand on the Reverse of the 1861 Broadside which is pictured above--the "Act to Provide for Allotment Certificates". I have transcribed portions of this letter to the best of my ability. For reading ease, I corrected grammar and spelling. With a little time and patience, this letter could be completely transcribed.
"October 13, 1862—Camp Washington
Today is Monday—My Dear Daughter--
It is with these few lines to make you know I am well for the time…. Dear daughter am here with Regiment and I do not like the place at all. I don’t have a gun ready. The Rebel come last night…. 4000 Rebels be only miles from here…. Eliza…now Frank he got killed, last month on the 17th…."
"October 17, 1862—Headquarters of 146th New York
Company D, Capt. GrindleyDear Eliza--
…I am well and do not feel lonesome at all, hoping these few lines will find you well. I wish to send you my money and want you to take good care of it. I want you to take it and put it in a bank until I come home. I will send it by express soon as I can. I signed a Rule to have you sent $8.00 per month. You take the check that is sent you, and sign your name on the back and go to any bank and get cashed…."
"January 10, 1863—Reading, Pa.
Dear Daughter…In this letter, Aubin writes about money and worthless paper money and someone with a million dollars, and I’m sure much more.
"Camp Near Fredericksburg on Potomac Creek in Virginia
March 24, 1863
Dear Daughter & Son-in-law
…I was pleased that you were ever ready to comfort and encourage me in my troubles, and I know that the confidence which I have placed in you is just…where I selected you among my other children, not that I think any less of them, but because you were the oldest and more experienced…you would not see your father in trouble…I hope that…by the faith of the great redeemer, my daughter and myself will forget our past troubles and work future happiness as the only as the only safeguard against all miseries and troubles…. While resting a couple of the boys from the 97th N.Y. came up to visit. Some of their friends in our Regiment. They report that John is well and all the boys there in general.I always like to hear form absent friends and relatives and don’t think it any trouble to inform them of my situation…."
BEGINNING OF CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN
"Camp Near Fredericksburg on Potomac Creek in Virginia
April 16, 1863
Dear Daughter
…We had orders to march last Tuesday, but they were countermanded as we are here yet, not knowing when, nor where, we shall go. We had 8 days rations ready th enight before [a sure sign that a long Campaign was in the works] and have them yet, waiting for further orders…. They won’t give passes, only for one day…we have just received today four months pay…. See that my money is all safe and let no one have any without my orders as long as I am alive and well… I wish this war would be ended some way, I want to see you all very much."
GETTYSBURG~LITTLE ROUND TOP~BATTLE LETTER
"July 5, 1863—Pa.
Dear Daughter--
I sit down to give you a few lines, for I want you to know that I am here and all well at the present. I hope the few lines will find you the same. I be here on a mountain. We got battle last Thursday and Friday. Sgt. Taylor, for day and today, he get more battle on the 6th. I got shot.
[edited out content on battle and Regiment. The reverse of the letter is dated July 10, 1863 and continues on with more content here about the battle.]
******END OF LETTER EXCERPTS******
The letters were written to his daughter, Eliza Aubin. Each letter is authored by Francis Aubin as he struggles to communicate with his family from the front lines. There are a few letters with terrific Patriotic letterheads. One letter is written on official letterhead from "The Headquarters of the 146th Regt. N. York Vols., Col. Garrard," depicting an engraving of the Capitol Building, with the "Dome’s" construction completed.
One of the letters was written on the reverse side of an 1861 Civil War Military broadsidewhich was no doubt given to Francis Aubin just before he enlisted. The broadside’s title reads, "AN ACT, To Provide for the Allotment Certificates Among the Volunteer Forces." Please click on the enlargement below for a more thorough review of the ACT.
Some of the postal marks include cancellations from Reading, PA; Washington; Easton, PA; New York, Lancaster, PA; Fredericksburg, MD; and Rome, NY.
THE FRENCH-CANADIAN CONNECTION DURING THE CIVIL WAR
French-Canadians were one of the most fascinating, colorful, and important groups present in the Union forces. The archive offered here is indeed a special one, and it is doubtful that you will run into another like it in a lifetime, especially an archive which includes a Gettysburg/Little Round Top dated letter.
Though thousands of Franco-Americans appear to have served in the conflict, the exact number is largely unclear. There are no truly reliable statistics concerning foreign enlistments in the Union forces. Consequently, only rough estimates can be made. Most scholars tend to claim that anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 Franco-Americans, many of whom would have been born in the United States or had resided there for several years, served in the Union forces.
The uniform of the Garrard’s Tigers is pictured exactly on page 130 of the book, "Echoes of Glory". It consisted of the following:
Headgear - Scarlet fez with yellow tassel, turban worn for dress
Jacket - Sky blue Zouave jacket with yellow trim and tombeaux
Trousers - Sky blue Chasseur trousers
Sash - Scarlet sash with yellow edging
Leggings - Canvas leggings with russet leather jambiéres
A historian, who has examined all enlistment estimates reported that most of the forty thousand or more ‘Canadians’ who enlisted probably were third and even forth generation French-Canadian Americans. Most nineteenth-century estimates of Franco-American participation in the Civil War tend to be high. In May of 1864, the Catholic Bishop of Montreal, Msgr. Ignace Bourget (1799-1885), warned the priests of his diocese that at least 25,000 French Canadians were taking part in the fighting on the Union side and that unless something was done to stop them from enlisting, more would be headed for the boucherie (slaughterhouse).
It is probably safe to state that anywhere from ten to twenty thousand French Canadians and Franco-Americans served in the Union forces during the Civil War. Twenty thousand represents an ambitious but not impossible maximum. Nonetheless, the true figure would likely be closer to the ten than the twenty thousand enlistments mark. An overwhelming proportion of these men enlisted in the army. Only a very small number of French Canadians seem to have served in the Union navy.
We will never know exactly how many Franco-Americans fought and died in the Civil War. During the first half of the war, no records were kept of the birthplace or parentage of enlisted men. When such information was at last requested, recruiting agents frequently filled in the forms with guesses or falsified information to fill state or town quotas. Moreover, Yankee recruiting officers often saw very little difference between an Acadian, a French Canadian, a Frenchman or a French-speaking Belgian or Swiss recruit. All francophones might thus end up being lumped into a large "French" group.
HISTORY OF THE 146TH NEW YORK ZOUAVES~GARRARD’S TIGERS
The 146th was organized at Rome, N.Y., and mustered in on October 10, 1862. The Regiment left the state for Washington, D.C., on October 11, 1862. It was attached to Casey's Division, Defenses of Washington, until November, 1862. From there on until March 1864, it was attached to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. The 146th New York Zouaves was the only Zouave Unit in the 5th Army Corps.
Originally called the "Fifth Oneida" Regiment and the "Halleck Infantry", the 146th NY went off to war in 1862 under Colonel Kenner Garrard, a veteran West Pointer. Garrard expected his volunteers to live up to the standards of the "Old Army", and the regiment was assigned to General Sykes' Division of the Army of the Potomac, a division composed mainly of U.S. Regulars.
Francis Aubin was the ripe old age of 44 years when he enlisted as a private on August 21, 1862. An immigrant of Canada, he mustered into Company "D", 146th New York Infantry on October 10, 1862. Private Aubin was one of the founding recruits of the unit, enlisting in September 1862, one month before his unit was officially mustered into service. At the beginning, Aubin and his Regiment were at Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C., until November 1862.
Almost immediately after they were mustered in, the 146th NY, were thrust into battle action, suffering brutal and significant losses at Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Little Round Top at Gettysburg, where for its performance on the battlefield, its Commander, Colonel Garrard, was promoted to Brigadier General. The last action that Private Aubin saw with the 146th New York Zouaves was in the Regiment’s pursuit of Lee from July 5 through 24, 1863. On September 3, 1863, Aubin was transferred to the Veterans Corps, formerly known as the Invalid Corps.
Francis Aubin’s native language was French. How difficult it must have been for Aubin to communicate with his fellow soldiers and commanding officers. . His letters reflect his lack of command of the English language. He struggles to communicate his thoughts in phonetic English. Many of the letters from him are written in a different hand as he managed to convince a volunteer to write his letters for him.
EXCERPTS OF AUBIN LETTERS
Ssome of the letters are difficult to read as they are in broken English. But once you have read a few, it does become easier as you decipher the dialect. A few contain a mixture of French and broken English, which only serves as a reminder about how difficult it must have been for this 44-year old man. How brave a man must have been to enlist in the Civil War. But to volunteer as Francis Aubin did--the sheer determination and courage of a man who willingly enlists into a foreign jurisdiction for a Cause he probably did not understand andwithout the basic benefit of speaking the same language as his comrades, must indeed have been a grueling, discouraging, and frustrating experience.
The quotes from the letters follow
"September 11, 1862—Camp Huntington (Rome)
Dear Eliza--
I write to inform you that I have volunteered in the service, and when you write to me, direct as above so that I may know where to direct letter with money in it for you. I am well and hope you are the same. I shall have not far short of $200. I shall want you to keep the check for me until I come back from the war…."
The following penciled letter is written in Aubin’s hand on the Reverse of the 1861 Broadside which is pictured above--the "Act to Provide for Allotment Certificates". I have transcribed portions of this letter to the best of my ability. For reading ease, I corrected grammar and spelling. With a little time and patience, this letter could be completely transcribed.
"October 13, 1862—Camp Washington
Today is Monday—My Dear Daughter--
It is with these few lines to make you know I am well for the time…. Dear daughter am here with Regiment and I do not like the place at all. I don’t have a gun ready. The Rebel come last night…. 4000 Rebels be only miles from here…. Eliza…now Frank he got killed, last month on the 17th…."
"October 17, 1862—Headquarters of 146th New York
Company D, Capt. GrindleyDear Eliza--
…I am well and do not feel lonesome at all, hoping these few lines will find you well. I wish to send you my money and want you to take good care of it. I want you to take it and put it in a bank until I come home. I will send it by express soon as I can. I signed a Rule to have you sent $8.00 per month. You take the check that is sent you, and sign your name on the back and go to any bank and get cashed…."
"January 10, 1863—Reading, Pa.
Dear Daughter…In this letter, Aubin writes about money and worthless paper money and someone with a million dollars, and I’m sure much more.
"Camp Near Fredericksburg on Potomac Creek in Virginia
March 24, 1863
Dear Daughter & Son-in-law
…I was pleased that you were ever ready to comfort and encourage me in my troubles, and I know that the confidence which I have placed in you is just…where I selected you among my other children, not that I think any less of them, but because you were the oldest and more experienced…you would not see your father in trouble…I hope that…by the faith of the great redeemer, my daughter and myself will forget our past troubles and work future happiness as the only as the only safeguard against all miseries and troubles…. While resting a couple of the boys from the 97th N.Y. came up to visit. Some of their friends in our Regiment. They report that John is well and all the boys there in general.I always like to hear form absent friends and relatives and don’t think it any trouble to inform them of my situation…."
BEGINNING OF CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN
"Camp Near Fredericksburg on Potomac Creek in Virginia
April 16, 1863
Dear Daughter
…We had orders to march last Tuesday, but they were countermanded as we are here yet, not knowing when, nor where, we shall go. We had 8 days rations ready th enight before [a sure sign that a long Campaign was in the works] and have them yet, waiting for further orders…. They won’t give passes, only for one day…we have just received today four months pay…. See that my money is all safe and let no one have any without my orders as long as I am alive and well… I wish this war would be ended some way, I want to see you all very much."
GETTYSBURG~LITTLE ROUND TOP~BATTLE LETTER
"July 5, 1863—Pa.
Dear Daughter--
I sit down to give you a few lines, for I want you to know that I am here and all well at the present. I hope the few lines will find you the same. I be here on a mountain. We got battle last Thursday and Friday. Sgt. Taylor, for day and today, he get more battle on the 6th. I got shot.
[edited out content on battle and Regiment. The reverse of the letter is dated July 10, 1863 and continues on with more content here about the battle.]
******END OF LETTER EXCERPTS******
Friday, August 27, 2004
Henry Howes, Indiana to Joseph Howes, Vermont, 1847
This stampless letter has a circular date stamp for PERU Ind., a match PAID, a handwritten 10 cent rate, and is addressed to Joseph Howes, Montpelier, Vermont, and is a one paragraph letter written by Henry Howes.
The headline is Monday Nov 8, 1847.
The letter reads: "Dear Brother, I now inform you that I have received your kind letter containing A draught of Six hundred dollars and feel very thankful for the same and I think that if my life is spared I shal make you a visit next season. My self and famaly are all well, give my respects your famaly and all enquiring friends, please to write as often as you think proper, so Adieu for the present."
The headline is Monday Nov 8, 1847.
The letter reads: "Dear Brother, I now inform you that I have received your kind letter containing A draught of Six hundred dollars and feel very thankful for the same and I think that if my life is spared I shal make you a visit next season. My self and famaly are all well, give my respects your famaly and all enquiring friends, please to write as often as you think proper, so Adieu for the present."
Diary of Tully Crosby Brewster on board Ship Charlotte of Boston, 1848-1850 Massachusetts
This leather covered diary is hardbound and is a bit over 100 pages, or a total of 200 pages front and back
The diary is identified clearly in manuscript on the back fly page-- Tully Crosby Brewster [Massachusetts]
The diary entries begin with October 13, 1848 and end with June 19, 1850. Also included with the diary is a beautifully written, 4-page tipped in letter dated January 10, 1843,by the hand of Captain Crosby, addressed from London to his brother and sister, in Brewster, Massachusetts.
The following are just few of the highlights of the entries in this diary. The excerpts were chosen at random. You will learn from this brief list of entries that Captain Crosby was a brave man, sailing the treacherous mighty deep time after time, experiencing utter despair and frustration. He was a devoutly religious man so much so he heaps guilt upon himself for repairing masts on the Sabbath. But at the same time he and his crew wage utter brutality against the poor sea creatures, the whale and the porpoise.
October 13, 1848
I left my home at a late hour of the night to go forth and seek bread for the wife and little ones, whom God hath given me, to follow the profession which in my youth I so unwisely chose. I am one of those people who do business upon the might waters, who go down to the deep in ships, and there behold the wonders of the Lord & . I go because my duty calls me, yet my soul will dwell with you [my wife and children]. On the 14th, arrived in Boston, passed the day there. But in the evening I take cars for New York, and after a pleasant passage through the sound in the Empire State, I arrive safe &
Wednesday, January 27th, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
a high rolling sea at 6 p.m. It commences to blow again. Took in said as required and & we had to take all off but close reefed main top said and fore topmost stay sail. Midnight, a tremendous gale of wind & and the sea was terrific. May god have mercy on us... A heavy sea & filled the decks fore and aft and came nigh washing the whole watch off deck. On e many was swept from the bows of the ship, under the spars and was some bruised, passengers necessary was washed away & . It is indeed a very heavy gale, and the sea seems frightful .
Monday, January 31st, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
we passed close along side of a squid, a laying on the top of the water. I should think him 20 to 25 feet long and as large as a house the larges I ever saw, though I have heard of them much larger .
Sunday, February the 4th, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
we feel at times as if there was no one so unfortunate as we are, but we know when we exercise our better judgment that there is many worse off, by far, yet we feel bad, we are making a very long passage, and our freight is of the loveliest kind. The heavy winds which are continually so spitefully against us is a striping us of all our sails, or rather is straining and tearing them to pieces. We fear that our employees will get tired of our hard luck, but we must do our best and have [left] the result to God .
Sunday, February the 11th, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
we find by looking back in this our Journal that this is the twelfth gale of wind that we have experienced since we left port, that has caused us to have our ship too under close reefed main top sail and I think we have been laid too, about 13 days & Midnight calm. It is truly strange how sudden these N gales die down to a calm. In one or two hours from a gale to a perfect calm, all the latter part it is calm and clear and we are obliged to turn all of the watch onto work to repair sails, although it is a Sabbath day, we feel that it is our duty, yet we hate to work, or set men to work on the Lords day, but we have had a dreadful time, and our sails have all got split and strained to pieces and if we don t take the advantage of the good weather, we fear we shall lose them. Our Father, who art in heaven, again we are permitted through thy mercy to behold another Sabbath day. Although we have been at work all the day, upon our sail & c., we felt that it was our duty, and if we have sinned in thy sight, we pray that we may be forgiven, surely we have not meant it for sin, nor have we done it thinking light of thy Command, which requires of us not to work, neither ourselves or our servants, but we have looked upon it as work of necessity. And, our Master and Savior taught us that if we have an ass & that falls in the ditch, it is lawful to pull them out on the Sabbath day. True, such was not our state, but our sails have fallen in to very rough weather, and we feel that we are acting upon the same principle by taking advantage of a moderate day to repair them. Since this is only the third or fourth moderate day we have had out of 44 days, yet Father we do not wish to justify ourselves before thee, for we know that we have often done things that are forbidden in thy sacred work and left undone things that we are commanded to do.
Thursday, February the 15th, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston & standing to the South to get clear of the Gulf where we find we have been for the last two days, although we have been from 60 to 120 miles south of where we ever knew the gulf to be before in this longitude, but everything has undergone a change apparently since we passed these parts before.
Midnight - a tremendous gale with lightning, thunder, and much rain. Oh God, have mercy on us, for surely we fear our good little ship will not be able to stand it much longer. We have now washed away our head sails, and started our head and main rail, and we fear our head will go altogether as the knees are gone, and if it does, we fear it will start a leak .
Saturday, February the 17th, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
Wonderful to relate we have not had to close reef our top sails for 24 hours. May god be praised for this blessing. At 10 a.m., we passed as bale of Cotton floating close along side of the ship, and some pieces of ship s bull works, the Cotton had not been long in the water. Some poor fellow no doubt had his decks swept about here during the late heavy gales. We still pray for a fair wind and may God her our prayers at last, and save us .
Thursday, February 22, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
Washington s Birthday.
when it blows, it always blows against us, and when it is calm, of course, we can do nothing, and we are almost ready to despair & surely there must be some cause for all this detention, and for so many, many disappointments, for when our hears are for the moment encouraged with the appearance of a fair wind, lo, and behold it is only for a moment for soon it is all withdrawn from us .
March 15th, 1849
In Baltimore
Ship Monterey of Boston
All of this 24 hours we have a thick rainy, foggy weather, but in the after part of the day, we commence discharging some of our cargo crates, and we hope and pray that tomorrow we may have a better day. Saw Mr. Paul Leans just from [here] from Boston and had a long talk with him about Boston friends there. Nothing new occurring this day & . Saturday, March the 20th, 1849Still in BaltimoreShip Monterey of Boston & Tolerable pleasant, but on Monday, the 20th, much rain which continues for two or three days, but we chartered the Ship for Liverpool to William Mankin. On the 25th had a letter from my wife and she was sick. Complains of weakness, cough, & c. and writes very discouraging. Oh, my Father in Heaven, what can this be, my fears are great, but in thee I put my trust. I immediately sent on for another Master for the ship for not for worlds would I go to sea and leave her sick. On the 29th had a letter saying Capt. George Dunbar is to take the ship, which I am glad to hear. He is a good fellow. On the 2nd of April, Capt Dunbar got on, expected to find the ship ready, but we had not began to load. I have trouble to get my fright as the rates have declined. I fear that Mr. Mankin will lose money by the ship. On the 11th we got her loaded and on the morning of the 12th started her off, and at the same time I started for home. Passed the evening and night in Philadelphia with Mr. Freeman, left next morning and arrived at New York. Left same evening, and the next day I got safe home with my dearly beloved family. Found my wife feeble indeed. But in a few days we start off for a town down east which proves a great benefit to her & . All the month of July and June, I was employed with Carpenters at work making alteration in my house. On the 10th of August, the Monterey arrived in Boston. I went up and took charge, got her Cargo out and I was taken down sick with bowel complaint. Was one week sick in Charlestown. Got a little better, went home and was taken with relapse. Found I should not be able to go in the ship, she being ready for Rio de Janeiro, sent up my old friend and neighbor Thacker, who I was glad to hear got the ship. She sailed on the 3rd of September. On the 20th of September, my health having been recovered, had letter from Mr. Lincoln to come to Boston. Went up on the 22nd, made an agreement to take the old ship Charlotte for a voyage to California.
Saturday, December 29th, 1849
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
At 4 p.m. we spoke to the Bark, Leonoria. Off and from Liverpool, England, 23 days for Demerana (?), he complains with us that we are so far south and no trade winds. He wishes us a pleasant passage, a plenty of Gold & c., for which we are much obliged and wish him the same with all of our heart & [Barque (or Bark) A barque is square-rigged at fore and main masts, and differs from a ship in having no top, and carrying only fore-and-aft sails at her mizzenmast. She has at least three masts. All of them are rigged with at least three square sails each, except for the stern most one, which is rigged with fore-and-aft sails. The wooden three-masted barque was a common sight in the port of san Francisco in the middle of the 19th century. Barques were important in California's early development. Until the fast, elegant clippers and huge steamers began arriving in 1850-1851, barques, ships and brigs carried huge cargo loads from around the world. ]
Tuesday, January the 1st, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
All hail Happy New Year! We greet you with the warmth and sincerity of an old friend. Yet we acknowledge that we are perfect strangers. But then we have been expecting you, and knew in reason that you would come about this time, January 1st. Well, you find poor Pill Garlick here on board of the old Charlotte, bobbing off for California, all down upon one side with the NE trade winds all from the SW. We hope friend fifty that we shall be good friends, and that we shall prosper much better under your administration than we did under the reign of your elder sister Queen 49. Yet we know that we even then was permitted to live, and sometimes took much comfort, but our gains in a Worldly sense was small .
Friday, January the 4th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
At 5 p.m., spoke [with] the schooner S.D. Bailey, & bound for San Francisco, all well, intended to touch at St. Cruz, Cape Verd, passengers on board of her all in high glee. They gave us three cheers as they passed across our stern. We wish them good luck and hope God will prosper them and give them abundance of Gold, and return all those who desire it in safety to their fatherland, again in safety .
Wednesday, January the 15th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
There is an American Hermaphrodite Brig within a main top sail & a coming up with us as they all do. We have only seen one vessel yet but what passed us, and this one will soon no doubt. But we are dragging along slowly all down upon our side. We have crossed the equator & . [Hermaphrodite Brigantine--If a ship has two masts, the foremast square rigged and the main mast fore-and-aft rigged, it can be called a hermaphrodite brig or a brigantine. Calling it a brigantine is a bit wrong, because the true brigantine should also have square sails on her main topmast. The brigantine must not, however, have a main course, because then it is called a brig and does not belong to the family of schooners since its main sail is not a fore-and-aft sail.]
Thursday, January the 17th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
The Brig Crocas of and for Gardner Mc Cane up and spoke with us. 39 days out for California . He says he has spoke with two or three vessels before and he was to the east of them all
Wednesday, January the 23rd, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
It is dreadful hot weather, and I am troubled with one of my bilious starts (bowel complaint?), but hope by the mercy of God soon to be well again. Have taken some of the wonderful Brandwiths pills .
Thursday, January the 16th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
spoke to the ship Em? & from New Bedford, 80 days out on a whaling cruise. Had 400 bbls oil and three noble, large whales then turned up which the boats was then trying to get along side. Two of them already fast to the ship. Monstrous looking they are. And it is wonderful to think of the power of man to subdue all other creatures unto himself. But all under God must it be done.
Thursday, July the 20th , 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
There is an American ship and Brig in Company. I expect they are bound to the Gold Regions, and I wish them much success .
Sunday, July the 24th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
The Bark Emma, camp up and spoke and passed us. Reported 67 days from Bath for the Gold Regions. Full of passengers, and the little Bark sailed like a witch, while our good old Charlotte moves slow and graceful, as well the Charlotte should .
Wednesday, March the 6th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
Wonderful events have this morning transpired. Mr. Lincoln our second officer has been all the voyage a trying to catch a porpoise. Was fortunate enough to hit one and draw blood. And although he did not save him, yet he is wonderfully elated, and is sharpening up his iron, and woe to the porpoises that now come nigh us, for blood is now drawn and the battle is fairly begun
Wednesday, March the 13th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
thank our heavenly Father for every little that we gain on our course helps to carry us from this Cape Horn of which we have had enough for one cruise.
Sunday, March the 24th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
ship laying and laboring in a tremendous sea, within 50 miles of the western entrance to the Straights of Magellan
Wednesday, March the 31st, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
yet we feel thankful indeed that we can say that we have got clear of the Cape Horn without any material accident, though we have had a rough and long time of it, yet we flatter ourselves that we have got clear with as little damage and most any of the California craft, and we pray that we may be as fortunate the rest of the voyage.
Monday, April the 8th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
this voyage we had a strong hope that we should have reached Valparaiso before this time, and as the first part of our passage was so prosperous, that hope was strengthened, but since we got up with Cape Horn, we have indeed had a hard time of it, although through the mercy of a kind providence, we have been preserved alive, and have not met with any serious accident, and we are now only 400 miles from Valparaiso .
Monday, April the 14th, 1850
ANCHORED AT VALPARAISO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
Monday morning went on shore and found to my great regret that there is no letters for me to be found here from any part, and I further find that there is no prospect of my selling the cargo on any part of it h ere to advantage so that I have no course to pursue but to continue on the San Francisco and the prospect does not look very flattering even there, but we must go
Friday, April the 26th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCSICO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
at midday there was a large whale one of the largest species came along side of the ship so near as to rub his sides against the bottom of the ship and continued to pass under the bottom from one side to the other, occasionally blowing close beside us and throwing his flukes about to our no great satisfaction, until we shot a Rifle Ball into his head when he left us in double quick time
Wednesday, March the 6th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
hand variously employed in ship s duty & myself reading Doctor Allcot s novel, Reformer, but think as I ever have that the said Doctor Allcot is an ass, and I don t believe he thinks half what he writes true. Still he says some good things as who many not who writes so much
Wednesday, May the 8th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
O how time flies away. It seems all most impossible, but such is the fact. We had hopes of being a little nearer to California when this day came around, but we had such a cruel hard, and long time off of Cape Horn which causes us to be no further on now
Thursday, May the 9th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
hands employed in painting ship, cleaning iron work & . The weather is getting very hot, and we feel somewhat the effects of it operating upon our digestive organs. We have a craving appetite, and have not strengths of mind enough to curb its desires, when we know it hurts us to eat so much. Well, of people will dance, they ought to pay the fiddler
Monday, May the 12th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
Clear, pleasant weather all sail out low and aloft, and our good ole ship is a doing the best she can towards reaching California
Monday, May the 13th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
all hands employed scrubbing and scraping ship outside making ready for painting myself and Mr. Gould, passenger, practicing pistol and rifle shooting, the weather is very warm. Indeed the heat is very oppressive. We have one man sick threatened with fever
Tuesday, May 14th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
hands employed painting ship outside, I had some high words with my mate Mr. Gillson. He provokes me all the passage, I suppose he wants to aggravate me to discharge him when the ship arrives, and heaven knows he may go for it. If I can t have an officer who will pay a little respect towards me as master of the ship, I don t want any. And I am quite sure that he does not, and he boasts of not caring a d**** whether he gives me satisfaction or not. I am sure of one thing and that is; that I never tried to treat a mate better than I have him, and I never had one who took such improper advantage of good treatment before, and I am sure I never had such improper advantage of good treatment before and I am sure I never had such abusive language from any one before. I could put him off duty, but this would be just what he would like, besides I am not disposed to do his duty for him, and as our voyage cannot be more than 20 or 50 days longer, I pray that God may give me patience. I hope to treat him in a proper manner, and deport myself toward him as becomes a gentleman and Christian. God knows I wish him no harm, but I pray that he may possess a better disposition. I am sure he will one day regret the abusive language that he has used toward me. But he has many things to repent of. He boast of having taken many Negroes from their native land to the West Indies and sold them, and swears he will do it again, one day. This will rise up in judgment again him
Sunday, May the 26th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
we are now within 1200 miles of San Francisco
Monday, June the 4th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
a high rolling sea, all of which continues all the 24 hours, just as it has for the last nine days & but I expect it is fair for some people, and we ought to be content. But our philosophy has got pretty much used up into fiddle strings, and we wish to Heaven we could get on fair wind to take us to San Francisco for we want to see the Elephant, and satisfy ourselves whether that animal has got horns or not. Cause folks says he has
Tuesday, June the 18th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
at 9 a.m., the Baltimore schooner called C.A. Slicer came up and spoke to us she left Valparaiso eight days after us, and she came up and passed us like a bird
Wednesday, June the 19th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
the Schooner that passed us yesterday is still in sight. We came up with some in the night, we begin to get some of the California weather, and our hope soon to get a fair breeze t take us in for we are truly sick of this long passage.
Tuesday, June the 20th, 1850
NEAR THE PORT OF SAN FRANCISCO~LAST DIARY ENTRY
Ship Charlotte of Boston
Commenced with a light air from WNW, nearly calm. All sails set low and aloft. Our ship a moving on her course about 4 knots an hour, which continues all the 24 hours nearly the same. The Schooner that we spoke to on the 18th is still in sight. She gets way ahead of us in the day time, but at night, we come up with her, and find her near us in the morning. We hope soon to reach our port, and as we now are a drawing nigh, we pray God to give us clear weather and direct our courses right and keep us in safety & Amen
The diary is identified clearly in manuscript on the back fly page-- Tully Crosby Brewster [Massachusetts]
The diary entries begin with October 13, 1848 and end with June 19, 1850. Also included with the diary is a beautifully written, 4-page tipped in letter dated January 10, 1843,by the hand of Captain Crosby, addressed from London to his brother and sister, in Brewster, Massachusetts.
The following are just few of the highlights of the entries in this diary. The excerpts were chosen at random. You will learn from this brief list of entries that Captain Crosby was a brave man, sailing the treacherous mighty deep time after time, experiencing utter despair and frustration. He was a devoutly religious man so much so he heaps guilt upon himself for repairing masts on the Sabbath. But at the same time he and his crew wage utter brutality against the poor sea creatures, the whale and the porpoise.
October 13, 1848
I left my home at a late hour of the night to go forth and seek bread for the wife and little ones, whom God hath given me, to follow the profession which in my youth I so unwisely chose. I am one of those people who do business upon the might waters, who go down to the deep in ships, and there behold the wonders of the Lord & . I go because my duty calls me, yet my soul will dwell with you [my wife and children]. On the 14th, arrived in Boston, passed the day there. But in the evening I take cars for New York, and after a pleasant passage through the sound in the Empire State, I arrive safe &
Wednesday, January 27th, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
a high rolling sea at 6 p.m. It commences to blow again. Took in said as required and & we had to take all off but close reefed main top said and fore topmost stay sail. Midnight, a tremendous gale of wind & and the sea was terrific. May god have mercy on us... A heavy sea & filled the decks fore and aft and came nigh washing the whole watch off deck. On e many was swept from the bows of the ship, under the spars and was some bruised, passengers necessary was washed away & . It is indeed a very heavy gale, and the sea seems frightful .
Monday, January 31st, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
we passed close along side of a squid, a laying on the top of the water. I should think him 20 to 25 feet long and as large as a house the larges I ever saw, though I have heard of them much larger .
Sunday, February the 4th, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
we feel at times as if there was no one so unfortunate as we are, but we know when we exercise our better judgment that there is many worse off, by far, yet we feel bad, we are making a very long passage, and our freight is of the loveliest kind. The heavy winds which are continually so spitefully against us is a striping us of all our sails, or rather is straining and tearing them to pieces. We fear that our employees will get tired of our hard luck, but we must do our best and have [left] the result to God .
Sunday, February the 11th, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
we find by looking back in this our Journal that this is the twelfth gale of wind that we have experienced since we left port, that has caused us to have our ship too under close reefed main top sail and I think we have been laid too, about 13 days & Midnight calm. It is truly strange how sudden these N gales die down to a calm. In one or two hours from a gale to a perfect calm, all the latter part it is calm and clear and we are obliged to turn all of the watch onto work to repair sails, although it is a Sabbath day, we feel that it is our duty, yet we hate to work, or set men to work on the Lords day, but we have had a dreadful time, and our sails have all got split and strained to pieces and if we don t take the advantage of the good weather, we fear we shall lose them. Our Father, who art in heaven, again we are permitted through thy mercy to behold another Sabbath day. Although we have been at work all the day, upon our sail & c., we felt that it was our duty, and if we have sinned in thy sight, we pray that we may be forgiven, surely we have not meant it for sin, nor have we done it thinking light of thy Command, which requires of us not to work, neither ourselves or our servants, but we have looked upon it as work of necessity. And, our Master and Savior taught us that if we have an ass & that falls in the ditch, it is lawful to pull them out on the Sabbath day. True, such was not our state, but our sails have fallen in to very rough weather, and we feel that we are acting upon the same principle by taking advantage of a moderate day to repair them. Since this is only the third or fourth moderate day we have had out of 44 days, yet Father we do not wish to justify ourselves before thee, for we know that we have often done things that are forbidden in thy sacred work and left undone things that we are commanded to do.
Thursday, February the 15th, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston & standing to the South to get clear of the Gulf where we find we have been for the last two days, although we have been from 60 to 120 miles south of where we ever knew the gulf to be before in this longitude, but everything has undergone a change apparently since we passed these parts before.
Midnight - a tremendous gale with lightning, thunder, and much rain. Oh God, have mercy on us, for surely we fear our good little ship will not be able to stand it much longer. We have now washed away our head sails, and started our head and main rail, and we fear our head will go altogether as the knees are gone, and if it does, we fear it will start a leak .
Saturday, February the 17th, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
Wonderful to relate we have not had to close reef our top sails for 24 hours. May god be praised for this blessing. At 10 a.m., we passed as bale of Cotton floating close along side of the ship, and some pieces of ship s bull works, the Cotton had not been long in the water. Some poor fellow no doubt had his decks swept about here during the late heavy gales. We still pray for a fair wind and may God her our prayers at last, and save us .
Thursday, February 22, 1849
Ship Monterey of Boston
Washington s Birthday.
when it blows, it always blows against us, and when it is calm, of course, we can do nothing, and we are almost ready to despair & surely there must be some cause for all this detention, and for so many, many disappointments, for when our hears are for the moment encouraged with the appearance of a fair wind, lo, and behold it is only for a moment for soon it is all withdrawn from us .
March 15th, 1849
In Baltimore
Ship Monterey of Boston
All of this 24 hours we have a thick rainy, foggy weather, but in the after part of the day, we commence discharging some of our cargo crates, and we hope and pray that tomorrow we may have a better day. Saw Mr. Paul Leans just from [here] from Boston and had a long talk with him about Boston friends there. Nothing new occurring this day & . Saturday, March the 20th, 1849Still in BaltimoreShip Monterey of Boston & Tolerable pleasant, but on Monday, the 20th, much rain which continues for two or three days, but we chartered the Ship for Liverpool to William Mankin. On the 25th had a letter from my wife and she was sick. Complains of weakness, cough, & c. and writes very discouraging. Oh, my Father in Heaven, what can this be, my fears are great, but in thee I put my trust. I immediately sent on for another Master for the ship for not for worlds would I go to sea and leave her sick. On the 29th had a letter saying Capt. George Dunbar is to take the ship, which I am glad to hear. He is a good fellow. On the 2nd of April, Capt Dunbar got on, expected to find the ship ready, but we had not began to load. I have trouble to get my fright as the rates have declined. I fear that Mr. Mankin will lose money by the ship. On the 11th we got her loaded and on the morning of the 12th started her off, and at the same time I started for home. Passed the evening and night in Philadelphia with Mr. Freeman, left next morning and arrived at New York. Left same evening, and the next day I got safe home with my dearly beloved family. Found my wife feeble indeed. But in a few days we start off for a town down east which proves a great benefit to her & . All the month of July and June, I was employed with Carpenters at work making alteration in my house. On the 10th of August, the Monterey arrived in Boston. I went up and took charge, got her Cargo out and I was taken down sick with bowel complaint. Was one week sick in Charlestown. Got a little better, went home and was taken with relapse. Found I should not be able to go in the ship, she being ready for Rio de Janeiro, sent up my old friend and neighbor Thacker, who I was glad to hear got the ship. She sailed on the 3rd of September. On the 20th of September, my health having been recovered, had letter from Mr. Lincoln to come to Boston. Went up on the 22nd, made an agreement to take the old ship Charlotte for a voyage to California.
Saturday, December 29th, 1849
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
At 4 p.m. we spoke to the Bark, Leonoria. Off and from Liverpool, England, 23 days for Demerana (?), he complains with us that we are so far south and no trade winds. He wishes us a pleasant passage, a plenty of Gold & c., for which we are much obliged and wish him the same with all of our heart & [Barque (or Bark) A barque is square-rigged at fore and main masts, and differs from a ship in having no top, and carrying only fore-and-aft sails at her mizzenmast. She has at least three masts. All of them are rigged with at least three square sails each, except for the stern most one, which is rigged with fore-and-aft sails. The wooden three-masted barque was a common sight in the port of san Francisco in the middle of the 19th century. Barques were important in California's early development. Until the fast, elegant clippers and huge steamers began arriving in 1850-1851, barques, ships and brigs carried huge cargo loads from around the world. ]
Tuesday, January the 1st, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
All hail Happy New Year! We greet you with the warmth and sincerity of an old friend. Yet we acknowledge that we are perfect strangers. But then we have been expecting you, and knew in reason that you would come about this time, January 1st. Well, you find poor Pill Garlick here on board of the old Charlotte, bobbing off for California, all down upon one side with the NE trade winds all from the SW. We hope friend fifty that we shall be good friends, and that we shall prosper much better under your administration than we did under the reign of your elder sister Queen 49. Yet we know that we even then was permitted to live, and sometimes took much comfort, but our gains in a Worldly sense was small .
Friday, January the 4th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
At 5 p.m., spoke [with] the schooner S.D. Bailey, & bound for San Francisco, all well, intended to touch at St. Cruz, Cape Verd, passengers on board of her all in high glee. They gave us three cheers as they passed across our stern. We wish them good luck and hope God will prosper them and give them abundance of Gold, and return all those who desire it in safety to their fatherland, again in safety .
Wednesday, January the 15th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
There is an American Hermaphrodite Brig within a main top sail & a coming up with us as they all do. We have only seen one vessel yet but what passed us, and this one will soon no doubt. But we are dragging along slowly all down upon our side. We have crossed the equator & . [Hermaphrodite Brigantine--If a ship has two masts, the foremast square rigged and the main mast fore-and-aft rigged, it can be called a hermaphrodite brig or a brigantine. Calling it a brigantine is a bit wrong, because the true brigantine should also have square sails on her main topmast. The brigantine must not, however, have a main course, because then it is called a brig and does not belong to the family of schooners since its main sail is not a fore-and-aft sail.]
Thursday, January the 17th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
The Brig Crocas of and for Gardner Mc Cane up and spoke with us. 39 days out for California . He says he has spoke with two or three vessels before and he was to the east of them all
Wednesday, January the 23rd, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
It is dreadful hot weather, and I am troubled with one of my bilious starts (bowel complaint?), but hope by the mercy of God soon to be well again. Have taken some of the wonderful Brandwiths pills .
Thursday, January the 16th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
spoke to the ship Em? & from New Bedford, 80 days out on a whaling cruise. Had 400 bbls oil and three noble, large whales then turned up which the boats was then trying to get along side. Two of them already fast to the ship. Monstrous looking they are. And it is wonderful to think of the power of man to subdue all other creatures unto himself. But all under God must it be done.
Thursday, July the 20th , 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
There is an American ship and Brig in Company. I expect they are bound to the Gold Regions, and I wish them much success .
Sunday, July the 24th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
The Bark Emma, camp up and spoke and passed us. Reported 67 days from Bath for the Gold Regions. Full of passengers, and the little Bark sailed like a witch, while our good old Charlotte moves slow and graceful, as well the Charlotte should .
Wednesday, March the 6th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
Wonderful events have this morning transpired. Mr. Lincoln our second officer has been all the voyage a trying to catch a porpoise. Was fortunate enough to hit one and draw blood. And although he did not save him, yet he is wonderfully elated, and is sharpening up his iron, and woe to the porpoises that now come nigh us, for blood is now drawn and the battle is fairly begun
Wednesday, March the 13th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
thank our heavenly Father for every little that we gain on our course helps to carry us from this Cape Horn of which we have had enough for one cruise.
Sunday, March the 24th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
ship laying and laboring in a tremendous sea, within 50 miles of the western entrance to the Straights of Magellan
Wednesday, March the 31st, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
yet we feel thankful indeed that we can say that we have got clear of the Cape Horn without any material accident, though we have had a rough and long time of it, yet we flatter ourselves that we have got clear with as little damage and most any of the California craft, and we pray that we may be as fortunate the rest of the voyage.
Monday, April the 8th, 1850
Towards the Pacific
Ship Charlotte of Boston
this voyage we had a strong hope that we should have reached Valparaiso before this time, and as the first part of our passage was so prosperous, that hope was strengthened, but since we got up with Cape Horn, we have indeed had a hard time of it, although through the mercy of a kind providence, we have been preserved alive, and have not met with any serious accident, and we are now only 400 miles from Valparaiso .
Monday, April the 14th, 1850
ANCHORED AT VALPARAISO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
Monday morning went on shore and found to my great regret that there is no letters for me to be found here from any part, and I further find that there is no prospect of my selling the cargo on any part of it h ere to advantage so that I have no course to pursue but to continue on the San Francisco and the prospect does not look very flattering even there, but we must go
Friday, April the 26th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCSICO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
at midday there was a large whale one of the largest species came along side of the ship so near as to rub his sides against the bottom of the ship and continued to pass under the bottom from one side to the other, occasionally blowing close beside us and throwing his flukes about to our no great satisfaction, until we shot a Rifle Ball into his head when he left us in double quick time
Wednesday, March the 6th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
hand variously employed in ship s duty & myself reading Doctor Allcot s novel, Reformer, but think as I ever have that the said Doctor Allcot is an ass, and I don t believe he thinks half what he writes true. Still he says some good things as who many not who writes so much
Wednesday, May the 8th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
O how time flies away. It seems all most impossible, but such is the fact. We had hopes of being a little nearer to California when this day came around, but we had such a cruel hard, and long time off of Cape Horn which causes us to be no further on now
Thursday, May the 9th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
hands employed in painting ship, cleaning iron work & . The weather is getting very hot, and we feel somewhat the effects of it operating upon our digestive organs. We have a craving appetite, and have not strengths of mind enough to curb its desires, when we know it hurts us to eat so much. Well, of people will dance, they ought to pay the fiddler
Monday, May the 12th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
Clear, pleasant weather all sail out low and aloft, and our good ole ship is a doing the best she can towards reaching California
Monday, May the 13th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
all hands employed scrubbing and scraping ship outside making ready for painting myself and Mr. Gould, passenger, practicing pistol and rifle shooting, the weather is very warm. Indeed the heat is very oppressive. We have one man sick threatened with fever
Tuesday, May 14th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
hands employed painting ship outside, I had some high words with my mate Mr. Gillson. He provokes me all the passage, I suppose he wants to aggravate me to discharge him when the ship arrives, and heaven knows he may go for it. If I can t have an officer who will pay a little respect towards me as master of the ship, I don t want any. And I am quite sure that he does not, and he boasts of not caring a d**** whether he gives me satisfaction or not. I am sure of one thing and that is; that I never tried to treat a mate better than I have him, and I never had one who took such improper advantage of good treatment before, and I am sure I never had such improper advantage of good treatment before and I am sure I never had such abusive language from any one before. I could put him off duty, but this would be just what he would like, besides I am not disposed to do his duty for him, and as our voyage cannot be more than 20 or 50 days longer, I pray that God may give me patience. I hope to treat him in a proper manner, and deport myself toward him as becomes a gentleman and Christian. God knows I wish him no harm, but I pray that he may possess a better disposition. I am sure he will one day regret the abusive language that he has used toward me. But he has many things to repent of. He boast of having taken many Negroes from their native land to the West Indies and sold them, and swears he will do it again, one day. This will rise up in judgment again him
Sunday, May the 26th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
we are now within 1200 miles of San Francisco
Monday, June the 4th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
a high rolling sea, all of which continues all the 24 hours, just as it has for the last nine days & but I expect it is fair for some people, and we ought to be content. But our philosophy has got pretty much used up into fiddle strings, and we wish to Heaven we could get on fair wind to take us to San Francisco for we want to see the Elephant, and satisfy ourselves whether that animal has got horns or not. Cause folks says he has
Tuesday, June the 18th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
at 9 a.m., the Baltimore schooner called C.A. Slicer came up and spoke to us she left Valparaiso eight days after us, and she came up and passed us like a bird
Wednesday, June the 19th, 1850
ON TO SAN FRANCISCO
Ship Charlotte of Boston
the Schooner that passed us yesterday is still in sight. We came up with some in the night, we begin to get some of the California weather, and our hope soon to get a fair breeze t take us in for we are truly sick of this long passage.
Tuesday, June the 20th, 1850
NEAR THE PORT OF SAN FRANCISCO~LAST DIARY ENTRY
Ship Charlotte of Boston
Commenced with a light air from WNW, nearly calm. All sails set low and aloft. Our ship a moving on her course about 4 knots an hour, which continues all the 24 hours nearly the same. The Schooner that we spoke to on the 18th is still in sight. She gets way ahead of us in the day time, but at night, we come up with her, and find her near us in the morning. We hope soon to reach our port, and as we now are a drawing nigh, we pray God to give us clear weather and direct our courses right and keep us in safety & Amen
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
WW1 - William Holloway Clark 1919
WWI 14-PAGE LETTER FROM SOLDIER IN FRANCE TO SWEEHEART IN KENTUCKY
14-page letter written by Private William Holloway Clark, on "American YMCA" stationary.
Private William Clark of Louisville, Kentucky, writes an interesting, newsy letter to his sweetheart, Lila Robinson, dated Tuesday, February 25, 1919--only a couple of months after the Armistice Agreement with Germany was signed. Private Clark was with Company "A", 110th F.S. Battalion, 35th Division—American Expeditionary Force
LETTER EXCERPTS
"On Active Service with the American Expeditionary Force, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1919, Commercy, France
Dear Lila:
I don’t know whether you’ll ever survive the shock of receiving this letter, but I’ll take a chance anyway. Hang up your Map of France and follow me in my wanderings. I’ve been all over this country from North to South and back again, and the only part of it that is worth a @#$%@___ is Paris. And I only got to spend two days there. Think I’ll get a job as brakeman on a freight train when I get home. I’m so used to riding inside door Pullmans—the kind that accommodate 40 hommes or 8 chevaux. I really think the horses have the best of it. Left New York September 8, landing at Glasgow, Scotland, Sept. 21. No excitement at all coming across, although one of the ships from our convoy did sink a submarine. However, we knew nothing of it until it was all over. I had an elegant bed on the boat, slept on the dining room table all the way over….
Ours was an English ship, and we have all been hating the English ever since. We took train at Glasgow for Winchester, England, arriving at latter place about 3 a.m., Sept. 22….
Landed at Cherbourg morning of Sept. 25 and marched out to rest camp where we spent 4 days. Only reason I could give for calling it a rest camp is that your stomach got much a nice rest, near starved. Being a British camp, more love stored up for the British. Get out your map of France now. Left Cherbourg evening of Sept. 28 in horse cars from Neuvic, France, a small town about 18 miles from Perigueux. 34 men in my car and fine sleeping, not one day and two nights along the way. Arrived at Neuvic station 7 a.m., Sept. 30 and were billeted in a small village about a mile from Neuvic. I slept in a nice airy barn—quite airy. In fact, my battalion remained here until Nov. 3, although the 84th div. was made a replacement div. about Oct. 10, and 12,000 of the infantry were sent away as replacements….
On Nov. 3, we left Neuvic for Cours Cheverny. Had to hike three or four miles to St. Astier where we took train. While we were waiting to entrain, who should look me up but Major Ford. First time I had seen him since leaving Sherman…. When our cars pulled in, we were agreeably surprised to find them to be passenger coaches, not first class ones, but passenger coaches just the same. Spent two days and two nights on the train and the morning of Nov. 5, detrained at Cours Cheverny and took a 10-mile hike to Les Montils, a small town about 8 miles from Blois….
On Nov. 11, the day the Armistice was signed, we heard that the 309th was to be broken up and the men sent to other units in replacements. That night, about 10 o’clock as I was coming back to my billet after celebrating the Armistice, I heard that the battalion had orders to move at 1 a.m. that night. I don’t see yet how that bunch ever walked the 10 miles back to Cours Cheverny. Nearly everybody was half shot after the celebration, and it was a wild mob that left Les Montil at 130 a.m., Nov. 5 on the hike to Cours Cheverny….
We spent five days on the train, detrained…to finish the last lap of our trip on foot. It was in the region…that I had my first view of the battlefield. About 75 of us from the 309th had been ordered to report to the division headquarters of the 28th div. at Hendicourt, about 3 miles from Woinville. We arrived at Hendicourt on the afternoon of Nov. 16. Nov 10, the day before the Armistice was signed, Hendicourt had received a final shelling from the Germans. We remained at Hendicourt from Nov. 16 to 18. There had been a mix up in orders and the 28th didn’t want us, so on Nov. 18, we were ordered to report to the 409th telegraph….
While at Brunieres, ran into Joe Lazarus from Louisville, a Lieut. in the 806th Pioneer Infantry, a Negro outfit. He was the first Louisville man I had run across since landing in France…. Ran up on Dick Jones…He was convalescing from the flu and [from] begin gassed….
[excerpt only]
….Signed ‘Holloway’ Clark…
14-page letter written by Private William Holloway Clark, on "American YMCA" stationary.
Private William Clark of Louisville, Kentucky, writes an interesting, newsy letter to his sweetheart, Lila Robinson, dated Tuesday, February 25, 1919--only a couple of months after the Armistice Agreement with Germany was signed. Private Clark was with Company "A", 110th F.S. Battalion, 35th Division—American Expeditionary Force
LETTER EXCERPTS
"On Active Service with the American Expeditionary Force, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1919, Commercy, France
Dear Lila:
I don’t know whether you’ll ever survive the shock of receiving this letter, but I’ll take a chance anyway. Hang up your Map of France and follow me in my wanderings. I’ve been all over this country from North to South and back again, and the only part of it that is worth a @#$%@___ is Paris. And I only got to spend two days there. Think I’ll get a job as brakeman on a freight train when I get home. I’m so used to riding inside door Pullmans—the kind that accommodate 40 hommes or 8 chevaux. I really think the horses have the best of it. Left New York September 8, landing at Glasgow, Scotland, Sept. 21. No excitement at all coming across, although one of the ships from our convoy did sink a submarine. However, we knew nothing of it until it was all over. I had an elegant bed on the boat, slept on the dining room table all the way over….
Ours was an English ship, and we have all been hating the English ever since. We took train at Glasgow for Winchester, England, arriving at latter place about 3 a.m., Sept. 22….
Landed at Cherbourg morning of Sept. 25 and marched out to rest camp where we spent 4 days. Only reason I could give for calling it a rest camp is that your stomach got much a nice rest, near starved. Being a British camp, more love stored up for the British. Get out your map of France now. Left Cherbourg evening of Sept. 28 in horse cars from Neuvic, France, a small town about 18 miles from Perigueux. 34 men in my car and fine sleeping, not one day and two nights along the way. Arrived at Neuvic station 7 a.m., Sept. 30 and were billeted in a small village about a mile from Neuvic. I slept in a nice airy barn—quite airy. In fact, my battalion remained here until Nov. 3, although the 84th div. was made a replacement div. about Oct. 10, and 12,000 of the infantry were sent away as replacements….
On Nov. 3, we left Neuvic for Cours Cheverny. Had to hike three or four miles to St. Astier where we took train. While we were waiting to entrain, who should look me up but Major Ford. First time I had seen him since leaving Sherman…. When our cars pulled in, we were agreeably surprised to find them to be passenger coaches, not first class ones, but passenger coaches just the same. Spent two days and two nights on the train and the morning of Nov. 5, detrained at Cours Cheverny and took a 10-mile hike to Les Montils, a small town about 8 miles from Blois….
On Nov. 11, the day the Armistice was signed, we heard that the 309th was to be broken up and the men sent to other units in replacements. That night, about 10 o’clock as I was coming back to my billet after celebrating the Armistice, I heard that the battalion had orders to move at 1 a.m. that night. I don’t see yet how that bunch ever walked the 10 miles back to Cours Cheverny. Nearly everybody was half shot after the celebration, and it was a wild mob that left Les Montil at 130 a.m., Nov. 5 on the hike to Cours Cheverny….
We spent five days on the train, detrained…to finish the last lap of our trip on foot. It was in the region…that I had my first view of the battlefield. About 75 of us from the 309th had been ordered to report to the division headquarters of the 28th div. at Hendicourt, about 3 miles from Woinville. We arrived at Hendicourt on the afternoon of Nov. 16. Nov 10, the day before the Armistice was signed, Hendicourt had received a final shelling from the Germans. We remained at Hendicourt from Nov. 16 to 18. There had been a mix up in orders and the 28th didn’t want us, so on Nov. 18, we were ordered to report to the 409th telegraph….
While at Brunieres, ran into Joe Lazarus from Louisville, a Lieut. in the 806th Pioneer Infantry, a Negro outfit. He was the first Louisville man I had run across since landing in France…. Ran up on Dick Jones…He was convalescing from the flu and [from] begin gassed….
[excerpt only]
….Signed ‘Holloway’ Clark…
Friday, August 13, 2004
Civil War: Confederate. Liddy Berry, Charlestown, 1861
THE BATTLE OF THE FIRST MANASSAS—THE FIRST BULL RUN
"[Monte] was taken before General Pope and he sat with his hat on all the time and with a most indifferent manner. The General asked him a great many questions. Monte replied he didn’t think it fair to question him so, [and] that General Pope had his [own] resources from which to get his information and that now he [Monte] would like to ask him a few…."
A FEW OF THE LETTER'S HIGHLIGHTS
**Lee mentioned several times in letter. Possibly family members of Robert E. Lee
**General Pope’s Three-hour Interrogation of Confederate Soldier
**General Banks
**Harper’s Ferry
**Union troops search houses
**Fairfax Court House
**Oath of Allegiance and Agreement Refusing to Aid Confederate Army
**Many Negroes Have Gone
**Surrounded by Federal Troops
Confederate history—a 12-page letter written only seven days after the Battle of the first Bull Run.
The letter is written by Aunt Berry to her nephews, Charles James Berry and Lawrence Lee Gribbs Berry, both of Company "B", 2nd Virginia Infantry. The letter’s content is absolutely wonderful and gives one a sense of the early Confederate emotion as the war, in its infancy began to rage. The entire letter is filled with fantastic content. Because of its length it is quoted below in excerpts.
On July 21,1861, a bright, warm day, two armies of a divided nation clashed for the first time on the fields overlooking Bull Run. Their ranks were filled with enthusiastic young volunteers in colorful new uniforms, gathered together from every part of the country. Confident that their foes would run at the first shot, the raw recruits were thankful that they would not miss the only battle of what surely would be a short war. But any thought of colorful pageantry was suddenly lost in the smoke, din, dirt, and death of battle. Soldiers on both sides were stunned by the violence and destruction they encountered. At day's end nearly 900 young men lay lifeless on the fields of Matthews Hill, Henry Hill, and Chinn Ridge. Ten hours of heavy fighting swept away any notion the war's outcome would be decided quickly.
The two Berry brothers fought in the same Confederate Regiment, the same Company—but only one would survive the war. Lawrence Lee Gribbs Berry was killed at the age of 22 years while on picket duty at Falls Church, Virginia, only two months from the day of the first battle of Bull Run. His brother Charles James Berry would be discharged on October 14, 1862. He lived in Albany, Georgia, until his death in 1886. He is buried in Edge Hill Cemetery, Charlestown, West Virginia.
In the letter, other soldiers were also mentioned and a request was made by the Aunt for information on their fate. Richard Lewis Timberlake mustered into Company "B" of the 17th VA Infantry and later into Company "B", 12th VA Infantry was killed on September 16, 1864 at Sycamore Church and while on Hampton’s Cattle Raid. Francis H. Abbott, (Warren Rifle Company) also in the 17th VA Infantry, Company "A" would never see home again. He was killed on May 5, 1862 at Williamsburg, Va. He was described as 6’ 1" (tall for those days), fair complexion, blue eyes and light hair.
EXCERPTS OF BERRY LETTER
The battle of the First Manassas commenced on a Saturday, July 21, 1861. News of the bloody battle spread fast to the Berry family. Not knowing whether the Berry brothers were alive or dead, they anxiously awaited news from the front. Finally on Friday, July 26, 1861, Aunt F…received word. On Monday, she wrote to her nephews.
"Charlestown—July 29, 1861 (Monday morning)—
My Dear Nephews—
After a great anxiety, I received your welcome letters, chiefly welcome because they proved you both lived. Oh how thankful we ought to be that you were spared, and I am indeed so. I have been greatly distressed for those who have been killed and died. It was an awful loss of life and I wish it were sufficient to stop now. We could hear nothing of you boys until we got your letters. There were many letters received here, giving an account of the battle and of the dead and wounded among our acquaintances and as you were not mentioned we hoped for the best, but still feared the worst. We did not get your letter until Friday…."
…Charlie…has had his utmost ambition now gratified, I should think—as he was in the greatest fight that ever took place n this side of the globe--we have been surrounded by the Federal troops, but I am thankful to say we were not treated with any indignity by any of them—though I have been told that had they remained a day longer, our house was to have been searched as several others had been. I presume your Pa gave you a description of their stay and departure in and from our midst…."
…I was so sorry to her of Mr. Harrison & Conrad’s deaths. [The Harrison mentioned here is Major Carter Henry Harrison, VA 11th Infantry, killed on July 17, 1861 at Manassas. Conrad is identified either Henry T. Conrad or Holmes A. Conrad, both died at Manassas, both in Company "D",2nd VA Infantry.] Oh, what a loss! And to think ours is spared—to God be all the praise for ours…." George is in Col. Preston’s command, a waggoneer. [Col. Preston was wounded at Manassas on July 21, 1861 and died of his wounds in January, 1862, at the age of 50.] Have you seen or heard anything of Frank Abbott or Richard Timberlake wounded in your company. They were in Warren Rifle Company. Heard Seth was one, who was the other? [Seth Timberlake was severely wounded in both legs on July 21, at Manassas and later discharged. He survived the war and died in 1907.] We have heard from persons who have been over and returned from the battlefield, an account of the fight—and of many incidents after it….
I heard last evening that the Federal army was passing over the river at Ferry, but whether they will leave entirely or not, I do not know. The paper has stated that Harper’s Ferry is to be headquarters—a large party of their cavalry was up yesterday, in town, scouting. I have been told that some of them are here every night—he servants say they have the horses hoofs padded….
Cousin Betsy’s house was searched and M[onte’s] military coat and pants taken, and he afterwards was taken prisoner and made to sign a paper, refusing to aid our side. It is a great mortification to him. He was taken before General Pope and he sat with his hat on all the time and with a most indifferent manner. The General asked him a great many questions. Monte replied he didn’t think it fair to question him so, that General Pope had his resources from which to get his information and that now he would like to ask him a few…. Monte was kept for three hours…. Charlotte says it s a sore subject to him. When you write home…perhaps you best not mention about Monte unless you hear it spoken of. Still, I don’t know what harm it will do for it is true, he had to sign the paper. I understand General Pope has returned to Philadelphia and that Gen. Banks has his position.
I heard yesterday that your Uncle Lee was at Fairfax Court House. I wish you could hear positively how he is and let us hear—I fee anxious about him and hope he will not go into service until well. I hear this morning that there is none of the Federals at the ferry except the pickets, but understand they are fortifying the opposite side as they hear Johnson is going into Maryland….
Be sure to write and send the bag and burn or destroy this [letter]. If you see Lee, tell him I heard from his house a day or two ago—all were well. Lucky was out to persuade Jim not to go with the Federal army. She was so much afraid some older one might take him off. She don’t like the Northern men. Many Negroes have gone—among others….
Your Aunt Lidy Joe."
"[Monte] was taken before General Pope and he sat with his hat on all the time and with a most indifferent manner. The General asked him a great many questions. Monte replied he didn’t think it fair to question him so, [and] that General Pope had his [own] resources from which to get his information and that now he [Monte] would like to ask him a few…."
A FEW OF THE LETTER'S HIGHLIGHTS
**Lee mentioned several times in letter. Possibly family members of Robert E. Lee
**General Pope’s Three-hour Interrogation of Confederate Soldier
**General Banks
**Harper’s Ferry
**Union troops search houses
**Fairfax Court House
**Oath of Allegiance and Agreement Refusing to Aid Confederate Army
**Many Negroes Have Gone
**Surrounded by Federal Troops
Confederate history—a 12-page letter written only seven days after the Battle of the first Bull Run.
The letter is written by Aunt Berry to her nephews, Charles James Berry and Lawrence Lee Gribbs Berry, both of Company "B", 2nd Virginia Infantry. The letter’s content is absolutely wonderful and gives one a sense of the early Confederate emotion as the war, in its infancy began to rage. The entire letter is filled with fantastic content. Because of its length it is quoted below in excerpts.
On July 21,1861, a bright, warm day, two armies of a divided nation clashed for the first time on the fields overlooking Bull Run. Their ranks were filled with enthusiastic young volunteers in colorful new uniforms, gathered together from every part of the country. Confident that their foes would run at the first shot, the raw recruits were thankful that they would not miss the only battle of what surely would be a short war. But any thought of colorful pageantry was suddenly lost in the smoke, din, dirt, and death of battle. Soldiers on both sides were stunned by the violence and destruction they encountered. At day's end nearly 900 young men lay lifeless on the fields of Matthews Hill, Henry Hill, and Chinn Ridge. Ten hours of heavy fighting swept away any notion the war's outcome would be decided quickly.
The two Berry brothers fought in the same Confederate Regiment, the same Company—but only one would survive the war. Lawrence Lee Gribbs Berry was killed at the age of 22 years while on picket duty at Falls Church, Virginia, only two months from the day of the first battle of Bull Run. His brother Charles James Berry would be discharged on October 14, 1862. He lived in Albany, Georgia, until his death in 1886. He is buried in Edge Hill Cemetery, Charlestown, West Virginia.
In the letter, other soldiers were also mentioned and a request was made by the Aunt for information on their fate. Richard Lewis Timberlake mustered into Company "B" of the 17th VA Infantry and later into Company "B", 12th VA Infantry was killed on September 16, 1864 at Sycamore Church and while on Hampton’s Cattle Raid. Francis H. Abbott, (Warren Rifle Company) also in the 17th VA Infantry, Company "A" would never see home again. He was killed on May 5, 1862 at Williamsburg, Va. He was described as 6’ 1" (tall for those days), fair complexion, blue eyes and light hair.
EXCERPTS OF BERRY LETTER
The battle of the First Manassas commenced on a Saturday, July 21, 1861. News of the bloody battle spread fast to the Berry family. Not knowing whether the Berry brothers were alive or dead, they anxiously awaited news from the front. Finally on Friday, July 26, 1861, Aunt F…received word. On Monday, she wrote to her nephews.
"Charlestown—July 29, 1861 (Monday morning)—
My Dear Nephews—
After a great anxiety, I received your welcome letters, chiefly welcome because they proved you both lived. Oh how thankful we ought to be that you were spared, and I am indeed so. I have been greatly distressed for those who have been killed and died. It was an awful loss of life and I wish it were sufficient to stop now. We could hear nothing of you boys until we got your letters. There were many letters received here, giving an account of the battle and of the dead and wounded among our acquaintances and as you were not mentioned we hoped for the best, but still feared the worst. We did not get your letter until Friday…."
…Charlie…has had his utmost ambition now gratified, I should think—as he was in the greatest fight that ever took place n this side of the globe--we have been surrounded by the Federal troops, but I am thankful to say we were not treated with any indignity by any of them—though I have been told that had they remained a day longer, our house was to have been searched as several others had been. I presume your Pa gave you a description of their stay and departure in and from our midst…."
…I was so sorry to her of Mr. Harrison & Conrad’s deaths. [The Harrison mentioned here is Major Carter Henry Harrison, VA 11th Infantry, killed on July 17, 1861 at Manassas. Conrad is identified either Henry T. Conrad or Holmes A. Conrad, both died at Manassas, both in Company "D",2nd VA Infantry.] Oh, what a loss! And to think ours is spared—to God be all the praise for ours…." George is in Col. Preston’s command, a waggoneer. [Col. Preston was wounded at Manassas on July 21, 1861 and died of his wounds in January, 1862, at the age of 50.] Have you seen or heard anything of Frank Abbott or Richard Timberlake wounded in your company. They were in Warren Rifle Company. Heard Seth was one, who was the other? [Seth Timberlake was severely wounded in both legs on July 21, at Manassas and later discharged. He survived the war and died in 1907.] We have heard from persons who have been over and returned from the battlefield, an account of the fight—and of many incidents after it….
I heard last evening that the Federal army was passing over the river at Ferry, but whether they will leave entirely or not, I do not know. The paper has stated that Harper’s Ferry is to be headquarters—a large party of their cavalry was up yesterday, in town, scouting. I have been told that some of them are here every night—he servants say they have the horses hoofs padded….
Cousin Betsy’s house was searched and M[onte’s] military coat and pants taken, and he afterwards was taken prisoner and made to sign a paper, refusing to aid our side. It is a great mortification to him. He was taken before General Pope and he sat with his hat on all the time and with a most indifferent manner. The General asked him a great many questions. Monte replied he didn’t think it fair to question him so, that General Pope had his resources from which to get his information and that now he would like to ask him a few…. Monte was kept for three hours…. Charlotte says it s a sore subject to him. When you write home…perhaps you best not mention about Monte unless you hear it spoken of. Still, I don’t know what harm it will do for it is true, he had to sign the paper. I understand General Pope has returned to Philadelphia and that Gen. Banks has his position.
I heard yesterday that your Uncle Lee was at Fairfax Court House. I wish you could hear positively how he is and let us hear—I fee anxious about him and hope he will not go into service until well. I hear this morning that there is none of the Federals at the ferry except the pickets, but understand they are fortifying the opposite side as they hear Johnson is going into Maryland….
Be sure to write and send the bag and burn or destroy this [letter]. If you see Lee, tell him I heard from his house a day or two ago—all were well. Lucky was out to persuade Jim not to go with the Federal army. She was so much afraid some older one might take him off. She don’t like the Northern men. Many Negroes have gone—among others….
Your Aunt Lidy Joe."
Friday, July 30, 2004
Civil War: Charlotte Couch, Illinois 1865
Civil War letter written by Charlotte Couch of Fairview, Illinois, and dated April 19, 1865. It is addressed to a Civil War soldier, identified as "Henry".
It is clear by this letter that Charlotte Couch was an intelligent, outspoken women. She makes her feelings about the South and it’s military leaders clear in this letter.
LETTER EXCERPTS
"Fairview, Illinois—April 19, 1865
Friend Henry—
…I received your letter last Friday that was due the the 30 of March. I also got a letter from John Couch last Friday. [Most likely the John Couch referenced here belonged to Company "C", 103rd Illinois Infantry.] He never said how he was, but he seemed to be very much engaged and inclined to think that Sherman’s army is the best one in the field. I think myself that he is very good. Grant has been doing some good work within the last few weeks. Well I felt very well satisfied to hear that Richmond was taken the way it was--only I should liked for Lee to have been killed!
Well I suppose many other think that the war cannot last much longer. We heard late last evening that they had taken Johnston’s Army…. We have got many Rebels up north. We killed them with the Draft. They may turn again…they don’t want any more men. The Draft went off in Deerfield last week. Three of the young men run off but just as soon as they heard that they was not wanted, they came right back to Bayless….
I suppose that A. Lincoln was buried at Springfield yesterday. I have no doubt but what it was the largest funeral that was ever known in the United States. There was a great many went from Canton. Well it seems hard to think that good true men should b shot down by the likes of Northern Traitors. It seems bad enough to fall in battle. Of I would like to see the one hang that shot Lincoln. Well I hope that Johnson will be harder than ever. Lincoln was on the Rebels.
I was glad that you all had such good success while on your last march. Well I will close for this time, hoping that after a few more letters that we can have the pleasure of hearing soldier’s tell of their hardships that they have went through on account of this rebellion.
I remain, your friend, Charlotte Couch…."
It is clear by this letter that Charlotte Couch was an intelligent, outspoken women. She makes her feelings about the South and it’s military leaders clear in this letter.
LETTER EXCERPTS
"Fairview, Illinois—April 19, 1865
Friend Henry—
…I received your letter last Friday that was due the the 30 of March. I also got a letter from John Couch last Friday. [Most likely the John Couch referenced here belonged to Company "C", 103rd Illinois Infantry.] He never said how he was, but he seemed to be very much engaged and inclined to think that Sherman’s army is the best one in the field. I think myself that he is very good. Grant has been doing some good work within the last few weeks. Well I felt very well satisfied to hear that Richmond was taken the way it was--only I should liked for Lee to have been killed!
Well I suppose many other think that the war cannot last much longer. We heard late last evening that they had taken Johnston’s Army…. We have got many Rebels up north. We killed them with the Draft. They may turn again…they don’t want any more men. The Draft went off in Deerfield last week. Three of the young men run off but just as soon as they heard that they was not wanted, they came right back to Bayless….
I suppose that A. Lincoln was buried at Springfield yesterday. I have no doubt but what it was the largest funeral that was ever known in the United States. There was a great many went from Canton. Well it seems hard to think that good true men should b shot down by the likes of Northern Traitors. It seems bad enough to fall in battle. Of I would like to see the one hang that shot Lincoln. Well I hope that Johnson will be harder than ever. Lincoln was on the Rebels.
I was glad that you all had such good success while on your last march. Well I will close for this time, hoping that after a few more letters that we can have the pleasure of hearing soldier’s tell of their hardships that they have went through on account of this rebellion.
I remain, your friend, Charlotte Couch…."
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Civil War: Steamer John Raine, 1869
Name: JAN BETTENCOURT
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
CAIRO
US STEAMER JOHN RAINE
MARCH 26, 1869
Cousen lydia ann b.
I take my pen to write thee a few lines. I met with an accident yesterday we get orders to out and drill our horses some i saddle up a fool horse that no one can ride i left my horse in the stable he was sick. Well i got on this one at the edge of the river he got to rearing up and ran in to the river i got him out and raired and throughed me off and fell on me and smashed mu ankle up he layed on me untill some to the boys pulled him off they carried me on the boat and put me to bed i am going on a crutch this morning.
Will got his finger shot off day before yesterday so you see we are both crippled he got it done accidently putting his revolver in the scabbard our boat is at cairo the rest of the boats are a vicksburg and we will go down the river before long. I expect will will get a furlong till his finger gets well or the place where his finger ought to be but i can;t get one without the bone was broken
i want you to write to me and let me know if you get the money i sent and if bev has got tht receipt for expressing them boots to me put it in a letter and send it to me and when i get to memphis i will make them pay for it send quick before i leave cairo direct to cairo us steamer john raine a.j. fraizer co d 1st car mmb
give my love to all inquiring friends write soon ashley j. Fraizer i will send you john will photographs. Keep it until i get home for i woulod not take a arm for it. He's going to send mine to his folks look out for my picture to it is is a case so so
Notes: the letter writer is ashley j. Frazier, cousin of lydia ann burgess parker. He was born in 1840 in indianna and died in ohio
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
CAIRO
US STEAMER JOHN RAINE
MARCH 26, 1869
Cousen lydia ann b.
I take my pen to write thee a few lines. I met with an accident yesterday we get orders to out and drill our horses some i saddle up a fool horse that no one can ride i left my horse in the stable he was sick. Well i got on this one at the edge of the river he got to rearing up and ran in to the river i got him out and raired and throughed me off and fell on me and smashed mu ankle up he layed on me untill some to the boys pulled him off they carried me on the boat and put me to bed i am going on a crutch this morning.
Will got his finger shot off day before yesterday so you see we are both crippled he got it done accidently putting his revolver in the scabbard our boat is at cairo the rest of the boats are a vicksburg and we will go down the river before long. I expect will will get a furlong till his finger gets well or the place where his finger ought to be but i can;t get one without the bone was broken
i want you to write to me and let me know if you get the money i sent and if bev has got tht receipt for expressing them boots to me put it in a letter and send it to me and when i get to memphis i will make them pay for it send quick before i leave cairo direct to cairo us steamer john raine a.j. fraizer co d 1st car mmb
give my love to all inquiring friends write soon ashley j. Fraizer i will send you john will photographs. Keep it until i get home for i woulod not take a arm for it. He's going to send mine to his folks look out for my picture to it is is a case so so
Notes: the letter writer is ashley j. Frazier, cousin of lydia ann burgess parker. He was born in 1840 in indianna and died in ohio
Civil War: Ashley Fraizer, Fort Pickering 1862
Name: JAN BETTENCOURT
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
FORT PICKERING DECEMBER 10TH 1862
cousen lidia a. Burgess
i got your letter the other day and with it one from louisa leonard. I was very glad to hear from you. My health is very good. I thought sometime ago that i would have to give up and go to the hospital but did not go and i expect it was best for i have got better my old cough came back again. Well there is no news of importance to write.
I think the war is about over if our troops will stand right up to them. They are completely whiped hear. They say that theyare readuy to give up now . If some of our home cowards would come and help us a little them fellows that have come from virginia to silas george they are nothing but cowards that wont fight for ther homes and ought not to be countinanced at all.. They ought to be drove out of highland county, they shirk out of the war and run from there homes when they might voluntered in some regiment and fight when we must do there fighting for them.
There john barrett and bill barrett such as them and the homes. We must suffer. It makes me mad to think of it. I ever get back they must hope ther gab to ther selves or ther will be somebody hurt.
Well my boots has no come yet but it is likely they will come before long. I am wanting them very bad as the weather is getting very disagreeable. If the expressage is payed i can get them as quick as the get here. If not i can't tell when they will be delivered for money is very scarce hear now we have not got our pay yet. I am still working at the fort yet but we may go away from hear before long.
Write soon give my love to everbody but home cowards
ash fraizer
Notes: ashley j. Frazier was a cousin of lydia burgess parker he was born in 1840 in indianna and was related through the leonard connection.
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
FORT PICKERING DECEMBER 10TH 1862
cousen lidia a. Burgess
i got your letter the other day and with it one from louisa leonard. I was very glad to hear from you. My health is very good. I thought sometime ago that i would have to give up and go to the hospital but did not go and i expect it was best for i have got better my old cough came back again. Well there is no news of importance to write.
I think the war is about over if our troops will stand right up to them. They are completely whiped hear. They say that theyare readuy to give up now . If some of our home cowards would come and help us a little them fellows that have come from virginia to silas george they are nothing but cowards that wont fight for ther homes and ought not to be countinanced at all.. They ought to be drove out of highland county, they shirk out of the war and run from there homes when they might voluntered in some regiment and fight when we must do there fighting for them.
There john barrett and bill barrett such as them and the homes. We must suffer. It makes me mad to think of it. I ever get back they must hope ther gab to ther selves or ther will be somebody hurt.
Well my boots has no come yet but it is likely they will come before long. I am wanting them very bad as the weather is getting very disagreeable. If the expressage is payed i can get them as quick as the get here. If not i can't tell when they will be delivered for money is very scarce hear now we have not got our pay yet. I am still working at the fort yet but we may go away from hear before long.
Write soon give my love to everbody but home cowards
ash fraizer
Notes: ashley j. Frazier was a cousin of lydia burgess parker he was born in 1840 in indianna and was related through the leonard connection.
Civil War Letter: Ashley J. Fraizer, Louisiana 1864
Name: JAN BETTENCOURT
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
U.s. ste
john raine water prof la.
Sunday jan. 3rd 1864
dear cousen i am so tired i can hardly write but i suppose i must try to answer your letter i got yesterday it is the 2nd one i have got sense i left home, i have been in the saddle for three days scouting and it is very hard work where ther is as many rebs as ther is hear yesterday. We was in miss.
Today we roade 25 miles through la runing rebs scouts and taken prisonors they are very thick hear we have been fighting them for three weeks they slip up on us and kill our pickets and then run and we catch them if we can. We are 75 miles below vicksburg and i expect we will go on down the river the day after christmas. We had fight at port gibson and yesterday we drove the rebs a way from oakland colage and held it about 3 hours then we collected all the fat cattle we could get and started for rodney. We get off the boats 10 miles above rodney and the boats was to be ther befor us we got there by land after we got the cattle together. The major started me ahead of the column to see if the boats had got to rodney and to tell them to be ready to kill the cattle it was a dangerous tripp and i didn't know the way but i loaded my carbine and took my revolver in my hand and away i went. It was three miles and some places i could not see 50 yards ahead of me, steepe hills and steepe cuts but i whiped through and got to town safe.
The boat got there as i did. 50 rebs could get in to them hills and whip 500 of us if they had sense enough there is a good deal of suffering amongst the reb families hear this morning there was two women come on board to see if they could buy some shoes for there children they had three small children with them they were bair footed cold wet and muddy such things make me feel sorry i bought them some soda and crackers which was the first flower bread they had tasted for some six months well i quit for this time direct to the john raine be sure to put co d car mmb
ashley j. Fraizer write soon tell all the news my health is good i will write again soon
Notes: ashley j. Fraizer son of john j. Frazier and abigail leonard born 1840 indianna died in ohio cousin of lydia ann burgess parker written as wrote no corrections of spelling or punctuation
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
U.s. ste
john raine water prof la.
Sunday jan. 3rd 1864
dear cousen i am so tired i can hardly write but i suppose i must try to answer your letter i got yesterday it is the 2nd one i have got sense i left home, i have been in the saddle for three days scouting and it is very hard work where ther is as many rebs as ther is hear yesterday. We was in miss.
Today we roade 25 miles through la runing rebs scouts and taken prisonors they are very thick hear we have been fighting them for three weeks they slip up on us and kill our pickets and then run and we catch them if we can. We are 75 miles below vicksburg and i expect we will go on down the river the day after christmas. We had fight at port gibson and yesterday we drove the rebs a way from oakland colage and held it about 3 hours then we collected all the fat cattle we could get and started for rodney. We get off the boats 10 miles above rodney and the boats was to be ther befor us we got there by land after we got the cattle together. The major started me ahead of the column to see if the boats had got to rodney and to tell them to be ready to kill the cattle it was a dangerous tripp and i didn't know the way but i loaded my carbine and took my revolver in my hand and away i went. It was three miles and some places i could not see 50 yards ahead of me, steepe hills and steepe cuts but i whiped through and got to town safe.
The boat got there as i did. 50 rebs could get in to them hills and whip 500 of us if they had sense enough there is a good deal of suffering amongst the reb families hear this morning there was two women come on board to see if they could buy some shoes for there children they had three small children with them they were bair footed cold wet and muddy such things make me feel sorry i bought them some soda and crackers which was the first flower bread they had tasted for some six months well i quit for this time direct to the john raine be sure to put co d car mmb
ashley j. Fraizer write soon tell all the news my health is good i will write again soon
Notes: ashley j. Fraizer son of john j. Frazier and abigail leonard born 1840 indianna died in ohio cousin of lydia ann burgess parker written as wrote no corrections of spelling or punctuation
Civil War Letter: Ashley J. Frazier, Virginia 1863
Name: JAN BETTENCOURT
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
U.s. hospitle sts
woodford vicksburg
july 21, 1863
Dear cousen lidia
i am still in the land of the living and _______and harty but ther is a good deal of sickness as high as 7 or 8 die of a night on our boat thye liked me so well as a nurse they put me in gen ward master of all the sick i have 164 beds and 150 sick in them i have 18 nurses and it keeps them busy to get along it takes 30 neggroes busy to wash and iron and scrub the boat
i have got plenty of money and would send some home if i had a chance but there is no chance now i hant saw ben gadd yet nore any of the 48th i don't know whether he is a living or not the rest of the boats has gone down the river towards new orleans and we will start down in a few hours. I don't know where we will go i hear the rebs is in indianna county up river they had better look out
tell me all the news going for i hant got time to write more now direct as before
ashley j. Frazier
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
U.s. hospitle sts
woodford vicksburg
july 21, 1863
Dear cousen lidia
i am still in the land of the living and _______and harty but ther is a good deal of sickness as high as 7 or 8 die of a night on our boat thye liked me so well as a nurse they put me in gen ward master of all the sick i have 164 beds and 150 sick in them i have 18 nurses and it keeps them busy to get along it takes 30 neggroes busy to wash and iron and scrub the boat
i have got plenty of money and would send some home if i had a chance but there is no chance now i hant saw ben gadd yet nore any of the 48th i don't know whether he is a living or not the rest of the boats has gone down the river towards new orleans and we will start down in a few hours. I don't know where we will go i hear the rebs is in indianna county up river they had better look out
tell me all the news going for i hant got time to write more now direct as before
ashley j. Frazier
Civil War Letter: Ashley J. Frazier, Mississippi (no date)
Name: JAN BETTENCOURT
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
U.s. ste john rearn brumis burough miss. Feb 26
cous i receivied your letter today and was glad to hear from you. My health is good and we are confiscating cotton. I got in last night about 10 clock after two days scouting cotton we found 800 bailes back in the hills concealed. We brought in 100 bailes with us and are going out after the rest a baile of cotton is worth $350 no just count that up and see we are making money for uncle sam recolect that is not half we are at the business all the time, we have got the rebs cleaned out in these parts for awhile
well i must tell about my getting my dinner at port gibson we made a raid on port gibson the other day we charged into town on a gallop but found a few rebs there hill is back and with me after we got into town we stopped on main street to let our horses rest and eat a bit of hard tack hill called me by name and there was an old man hered him and come up to me and wanted to know who i was. I told him and he claimed kin with me and made hill and my gang eat dinner with him. We had a good dinner and good buttermilk, his name was milegan. He has some relation living in clinton and fayette co., Ohio so you see i have friends hear in the suney south i also got acquainted with dr. Sprute out there by hill knowing his dad at keokuk, iowa he wanted us to come and take dinner with him next time we come to town hill is stouter than he was so no more for this time
ashley j. Frazier writ soon
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
U.s. ste john rearn brumis burough miss. Feb 26
cous i receivied your letter today and was glad to hear from you. My health is good and we are confiscating cotton. I got in last night about 10 clock after two days scouting cotton we found 800 bailes back in the hills concealed. We brought in 100 bailes with us and are going out after the rest a baile of cotton is worth $350 no just count that up and see we are making money for uncle sam recolect that is not half we are at the business all the time, we have got the rebs cleaned out in these parts for awhile
well i must tell about my getting my dinner at port gibson we made a raid on port gibson the other day we charged into town on a gallop but found a few rebs there hill is back and with me after we got into town we stopped on main street to let our horses rest and eat a bit of hard tack hill called me by name and there was an old man hered him and come up to me and wanted to know who i was. I told him and he claimed kin with me and made hill and my gang eat dinner with him. We had a good dinner and good buttermilk, his name was milegan. He has some relation living in clinton and fayette co., Ohio so you see i have friends hear in the suney south i also got acquainted with dr. Sprute out there by hill knowing his dad at keokuk, iowa he wanted us to come and take dinner with him next time we come to town hill is stouter than he was so no more for this time
ashley j. Frazier writ soon
Civil War: Natchez Mississippi Hospital 1869 - Ashley Frazier
Name: JAN BETTENCOURT
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
Natchez missippi
u.s. hospital ster woodford
aug. 27,1869
Notes: dear cousin i am down the river 110 miles below vicksburg at a nice town called vatchez the nicest place i have saw in the confederacy we come down for a holaday the head dockter thought it would be a nice tripp for the sick and so it is. We get all the fruit we can eat and melons by the dossen so you we have good times i took the ambulance and took a load of boys on out to see the town we had a merry time i tell you i bought some apples and a mess of dumplings but i missed aunt malindas cream dip very much and will have something more good.
The 48th regt passed hear going to new orleans yesterday my health is not very good i have got the gripp? Part of the time so no more now write soon ashley j. Frazier well lydia we once more in sight of vicksburg and will soon land there againe our frollick is over for a while but i have some hope of getting a letter and that will be joy give my love to aunt malinda tell her i had apple dumplings for dinner give my love to emma stalker tell unkle beve i will vote for john bough for governer of ohio and i am going to send my ticket home
ashley j. Frazier direct u.s. ster woodford
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
Natchez missippi
u.s. hospital ster woodford
aug. 27,1869
Notes: dear cousin i am down the river 110 miles below vicksburg at a nice town called vatchez the nicest place i have saw in the confederacy we come down for a holaday the head dockter thought it would be a nice tripp for the sick and so it is. We get all the fruit we can eat and melons by the dossen so you we have good times i took the ambulance and took a load of boys on out to see the town we had a merry time i tell you i bought some apples and a mess of dumplings but i missed aunt malindas cream dip very much and will have something more good.
The 48th regt passed hear going to new orleans yesterday my health is not very good i have got the gripp? Part of the time so no more now write soon ashley j. Frazier well lydia we once more in sight of vicksburg and will soon land there againe our frollick is over for a while but i have some hope of getting a letter and that will be joy give my love to aunt malinda tell her i had apple dumplings for dinner give my love to emma stalker tell unkle beve i will vote for john bough for governer of ohio and i am going to send my ticket home
ashley j. Frazier direct u.s. ster woodford
Civil War: on board the Steamer John Raine 1862
Name JAN BETTENCOURT
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
U.S. Steamer John Raine
Vicksburg, Miss.
April 22nd 1862
Miss Lidia Burgess
Your Kind Letteer Of The 12 Ins, Came To Hand This Morning Finding Me Enjoying Reasonable Fashion Of Health, I Got One Letter From Ashley Some Time Ago. I Will Send It Enclosed With This And You Can See For Your Self What He Has To Say. I Also Herd From Him A Few Days Ago They Was In Al. Then. I Don't Think They Will Be Sent To Richman On The Account Of Our Troops. You Spoke Of The File At Columbus I Guess It's A Mistake But Perhaps You Have Herd Of The File At Fort Sillow? One Of The Most Horred Things I Ever Herd Of On The Nite Of The 22 The Gun Boat Number 5 Was Sunk Up The Yazoo River And Number 11 There Was 3 Shots Entered Him But She Made His Escape Being Disabled Some. The Dianna And The Adams They Run Up And The Rebs They Disapered, The Hopital Woodford Was Sunk Up Red River She Run Afowl Of A Snag And Sunk In 15 Feet Of Water, No Lives Lost. One Of Our Transports Was Sunk Below Natier By The Rebs Nite Before Last.
It Appears As Tho The Rebs Are Getting The Upper Hand Of Us Now. This Is All Done By These Gorillas.We Have Just Come In From The River But We Coudn't Find Anything. I Guess They Are Afraid Of The Marines. You Wanted To Know About Our File. We Was Guarding A Train Of Cotton And As We Was Coming In We Was Ambooshed ... We Fought Them About 20 Minutes When They Retreated Killing 2 Of Our Men And Taking 10 Prisoner. We Killed 5 There Men And Held Our Ground And Wounded Some They Took All Of Our Advanced Guards. Ash Was In The Advanced.
Please Exuse This As I Am Have A Lame Arm And Can't Write Much. And Write When Concenietn And Direct To As Before
Respectfuly Yours J.H. Hill
Notes: This Writer Is A Friend Of Ashley J. Frazier, He Is Writing To Cousin Lydia To Let Her Know That Ashley Has Been Taken Prisoner.
E- mail: JANNPAUL@WMCONNECT.COM
U.S. Steamer John Raine
Vicksburg, Miss.
April 22nd 1862
Miss Lidia Burgess
Your Kind Letteer Of The 12 Ins, Came To Hand This Morning Finding Me Enjoying Reasonable Fashion Of Health, I Got One Letter From Ashley Some Time Ago. I Will Send It Enclosed With This And You Can See For Your Self What He Has To Say. I Also Herd From Him A Few Days Ago They Was In Al. Then. I Don't Think They Will Be Sent To Richman On The Account Of Our Troops. You Spoke Of The File At Columbus I Guess It's A Mistake But Perhaps You Have Herd Of The File At Fort Sillow? One Of The Most Horred Things I Ever Herd Of On The Nite Of The 22 The Gun Boat Number 5 Was Sunk Up The Yazoo River And Number 11 There Was 3 Shots Entered Him But She Made His Escape Being Disabled Some. The Dianna And The Adams They Run Up And The Rebs They Disapered, The Hopital Woodford Was Sunk Up Red River She Run Afowl Of A Snag And Sunk In 15 Feet Of Water, No Lives Lost. One Of Our Transports Was Sunk Below Natier By The Rebs Nite Before Last.
It Appears As Tho The Rebs Are Getting The Upper Hand Of Us Now. This Is All Done By These Gorillas.We Have Just Come In From The River But We Coudn't Find Anything. I Guess They Are Afraid Of The Marines. You Wanted To Know About Our File. We Was Guarding A Train Of Cotton And As We Was Coming In We Was Ambooshed ... We Fought Them About 20 Minutes When They Retreated Killing 2 Of Our Men And Taking 10 Prisoner. We Killed 5 There Men And Held Our Ground And Wounded Some They Took All Of Our Advanced Guards. Ash Was In The Advanced.
Please Exuse This As I Am Have A Lame Arm And Can't Write Much. And Write When Concenietn And Direct To As Before
Respectfuly Yours J.H. Hill
Notes: This Writer Is A Friend Of Ashley J. Frazier, He Is Writing To Cousin Lydia To Let Her Know That Ashley Has Been Taken Prisoner.
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